1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: If I had to pick one thing for being happier, 2 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: I would say anything. If you're trying to figure out 3 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:06,119 Speaker 1: what to do with your time, energy, or money, anything 4 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 1: that goes to relationships is something that's likely to make 5 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 1: you happier, and it'll make you feel more supported, and 6 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: it will also make you feel like you're better able 7 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,599 Speaker 1: to support others, and that is also a tremendous source 8 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:19,600 Speaker 1: of happiness. One of the best ways to make yourself 9 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:21,800 Speaker 1: happier is to make other people happier, and one of 10 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:23,920 Speaker 1: the best ways to make other people happier is to 11 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 1: be happier yourself. 12 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 2: Hey everyone, Emily Abadi here, Welcome to rewind on Hurdle 13 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 2: five days of episodes from the Hurdle Vault. I cannot 14 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 2: even tell you how often I get requests for interviews 15 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 2: with some of the amazing, amazing people that I have 16 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 2: already had the privilege of sitting down with, and sometimes 17 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 2: I'm able to do a round around three. But that 18 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 2: is what this week is all about. It's me bringing 19 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 2: you some of my favorite conversations back to the top 20 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 2: of the feed from the last five years. 21 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 3: Now. I'll be honest, it's. 22 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 2: Easy for me to forget that there are new people 23 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 2: joining the Hurdle community every single week, which means that 24 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 2: there is a lot of content to catch up on 25 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 2: helping everyone on their journey to live happier, healthier, more 26 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 2: motivated lives. Today you will be hearing from best selling 27 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 2: author Gretchen Rubin. This conversation originally aired in September of 28 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,639 Speaker 2: twenty twenty one. Make sure you're following along with Hurdle 29 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 2: over on social and is at Hurdle Podcast. I am 30 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 2: Oliver at Emily a Body and with that, let's rewind. 31 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 3: Let's get to hurdling today. 32 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 2: I'm sitting down with Gretchen Rubin. I feel like she 33 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 2: needs no introduction, but you may all know of her 34 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 2: from her slew of blockbuster titles New York Times bestsellers. 35 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 2: I'm talking better than before the Happiness Project, the Four Tendencies, 36 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 2: also podcaster behind Happier Gretchen Rubin, how are we? 37 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: I'm so happy to be talking to you. 38 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 2: I hope this brings you happiness. I hope we're both 39 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 2: working on our happiness together. 40 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: Absolutely now, I'm really looking forward to the conversation. I 41 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: know we're interested in so many of the same things 42 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 1: we are. 43 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 2: We are and I also know that we have a 44 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 2: mutual interest in I'm just gonna throw this out here, 45 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 2: the word juj. 46 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: This I for the very first time it came out 47 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: of my mouth, and I was like, wait, what, you 48 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: know what just happened? I didn't even know how to 49 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:48,800 Speaker 1: spell it. I'm like, how did I use it? It's 50 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: this is how culture happens, right, like how you pick 51 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,639 Speaker 1: these things up without even realizing it. And then it's 52 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 1: like it's to like make something look a little more 53 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: attractive by making like a slight change. And I was like, 54 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 1: I even used it correctly in a sentence, just like 55 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: in the fourth grade spelling test. 56 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,639 Speaker 2: Yes, now, I love Josh is obscenely difficult to spell. 57 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 3: Let it be known. 58 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 2: I'm gonna correctly spell it for the hurdlers who may 59 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 2: want to write it down use it in their own sentence. 60 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 3: Z h U z H. Who came up with that? 61 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 2: Just like it sounds anyway? Also, we just need to, 62 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 2: you know, double click on this for a second. You 63 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 2: recently spoke with my dear friend Liz Plosser. 64 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: Yes, indeed, Wow, small world. 65 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 3: Small small world. She was recently on the show. 66 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 2: This is actually my former boss from when I worked 67 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 2: at Self magazine. It's been quite some time since since 68 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 2: those days, but so excited for her and her new book, 69 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 2: Own Your Morning and love to see when all of 70 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 2: the circles kind of overlap in the good work that we're. 71 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 3: Both trying to do. 72 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's so fun. 73 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 2: So, Gretchen Rubin, I mean again, like I said, I 74 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 2: feel like you need no introduction. But in order for 75 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 2: us to get to a lot of the topics that 76 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 2: we want to talk about, talking about career pivoting and 77 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 2: how people can take steps to be happy in this 78 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 2: quote unquote new version of normal, I think it's really 79 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:17,039 Speaker 2: helpful if we do a little bit of a backstory dive. 80 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 2: So why don't we talk a little bit about how 81 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 2: you got into being the person that people think about 82 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 2: when they want to talk about getting happier. 83 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 1: Well, it was kind of a multi step process. I 84 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: started my career in law, and I was actually clerking 85 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 1: for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme 86 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 1: Court when I got an idea that ended up turning 87 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: out to be my first book. But at that time, 88 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: I didn't foresee myself becoming a writer. I didn't even 89 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: know that I was researching a book. I just one 90 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:50,600 Speaker 1: of the things that's true about me, and it's been 91 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 1: true my whole life is I'll get very interested in 92 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: a subject, and I'll do a ton of reading and researching, 93 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: and I'll take a lot of notes. That's just sort 94 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 1: of my thing. So I I was out of my 95 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: lunch break one day, I was walking around the Capitol 96 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 1: and I thought, what am I interested in that everybody 97 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: in the world is interested. It's just like a hypothetical 98 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:13,359 Speaker 1: question for me. And I thought, well, power, money, fame, sex. 99 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:15,839 Speaker 1: And it was like power, money, fame sex. And I 100 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: instantly just started researching and researching and researching what seemed 101 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: to me to be like these very linked ideas. And 102 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: so this was familiar to me to kind of get 103 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: preoccupied with an idea and really go deep into it. 104 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:30,559 Speaker 1: But this just got bigger and bigger and bigger, and 105 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:33,599 Speaker 1: so at a certain point I thought, well, this is 106 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: the kind of thing a person would be doing if 107 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: they were going to write a book. And then I thought, well, 108 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 1: maybe I could write that book. And I went to 109 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 1: a bookstore and got a book called something like How 110 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: to Write and Sell Your Nonfiction Book Proposal, and I 111 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,640 Speaker 1: followed the Directions and Power Many Fame. Sex was indeed 112 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:52,839 Speaker 1: my first book. A lot of people think that The 113 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 1: Happiness Project was my first book, and like many people, 114 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: I was an overnight sensation ten yere after ten years 115 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:05,160 Speaker 1: of and so actually The Happiness Project was my fourth book. 116 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: So I wrote my first book that I wrote a 117 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:09,960 Speaker 1: biography of Winston Churchill and a biography of John F. Kennedy, 118 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:12,040 Speaker 1: and I wrote a sort of a strange art book 119 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 1: called Profane Waste. And then one day I thought, what 120 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: do I want from life? Anyway? I want to be happy, 121 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:22,359 Speaker 1: but I don't spend any time thinking about how I 122 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: can be happier or if you can make yourself happier. 123 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: Then I got very preoccupied with that question, went to 124 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: the running to the library, I got a giant stack 125 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: of books, started researching happiness. And then one day it 126 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: occurred to me, well, I've just been doing this for myself, 127 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 1: but maybe this should be my next book, my Happiness Project, 128 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 1: And that's how I turn my attention into happiness and 129 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 1: good habits and all the things that flow from the 130 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 1: larger subject of happiness. 131 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 3: Wow. 132 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 2: So I mean, the first question I have is did 133 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:56,440 Speaker 2: you grow up being a super inquisitive person, because it 134 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 2: seems as though this is the kind of behavior that 135 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,839 Speaker 2: someone would need to see modeled to kind of act 136 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,479 Speaker 2: on it and feel comfortable saying, like, you know what 137 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 2: I'm going to do. 138 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 3: I'm going to do X. Like it seems like you 139 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 3: were so sure in your steps. 140 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 1: Well, I was a huge reader. I mean I've been 141 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 1: a huge reader my whole life, and I majored in English, 142 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: and so I did a lot of things that a 143 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 1: person would do. And actually going to law school, there's 144 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: a lot you have to unlearn about writing if you're 145 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: trained as a lawyer. But there's a lot of good 146 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 1: things that you learn about writing and logical argument and 147 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 1: research from being a lawyer. I didn't have a model 148 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 1: for this, And it's funny you mentioned I have a podcast, 149 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: Happier with Gretchen Rubin. My co host is my sister, 150 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: Elizabeth Kraft. She's five years younger than I am, and 151 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: now she's a showrunner and TV producer in Hollywood, so 152 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 1: she's a TV writer. But right out of college she 153 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: started writing kind of pulp fiction for teenagers. And so 154 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 1: even though I was five years older, she was really 155 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 1: a model for me of someone who was a professional writer. 156 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: That was her job was to write, and at that time, 157 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: as funny as it is for me now to think 158 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 1: of this, at that time I didn't know anybody who 159 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: wrote books, and so it was very helpful for me 160 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: to be like, well, Elizabeth is doing this in a 161 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 1: different way, but you know, same deal. I think that 162 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: was very helpful for me to imagine myself moving forward 163 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: like that. 164 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 3: So so special. 165 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 2: And then you mentioned obviously clerking and being in Washington, 166 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:28,920 Speaker 2: DC a huge career pivot to go from that trajectory 167 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:32,559 Speaker 2: to deciding, you know what I'm going to write. So 168 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 2: talk to me about perhaps some of the hesitancy, if any, 169 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 2: that you had during that period, and advice that you'd 170 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 2: give for someone else who's interested in making a career 171 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:42,440 Speaker 2: pivot of their own. 172 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 1: Well, you know, it's one of these things where you 173 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:48,439 Speaker 1: put one foot in front of the other until looking 174 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:53,959 Speaker 1: back it seems like much more not dramatic, but it's 175 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,200 Speaker 1: more and more abrupt because at the time I was like, well, 176 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:57,959 Speaker 1: why don't I get this book? And like what does 177 00:08:58,000 --> 00:08:59,719 Speaker 1: it take? Well, and then I'm like, oh, I guess 178 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: I would need to get an agent. How does a 179 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 1: person get an agent? You know it put step by step. 180 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: So I think one thing is to take it step 181 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 1: by step and don't expect yourself to get from A 182 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:10,320 Speaker 1: to Z overnight. But I did have a moment where 183 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: I was starting to think about this and and I, 184 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 1: you know, and I thought, this, if there was ever 185 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,400 Speaker 1: a time when my clerkship comes to an end, And 186 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 1: I had taken another really cool job at the Federal 187 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 1: Communications Commission, but it was also it was short, and 188 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 1: it was also coming to an end. It was like, 189 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:27,679 Speaker 1: this is my opening, Like if I'm ever going to 190 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: take this risk, now is the time to try, because 191 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 1: I have this sort of natural opening, And it occurred 192 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 1: to me, you know, at this point, I would rather 193 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 1: fail as a writer than succeed as a lawyer. This 194 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 1: is my time to either succeed or fail. And one 195 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 1: of the things about not trying is then you don't 196 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: risk failure, but then you can't succeed. And I was like, 197 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: I want to just if I'm going to fail, I 198 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:50,200 Speaker 1: want to just like fail and move on. I didn't 199 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:53,520 Speaker 1: like sort of being in this liminal state where like 200 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: where I was sort of neither one thing or the other. 201 00:09:56,600 --> 00:09:58,839 Speaker 1: And so one thing I would say to people is 202 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: to like move forward, you know, take steps forward. And 203 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 1: a question that I often ask myself when you're sort 204 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 1: of like, well should I do this or not? You know, 205 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: sometimes sometimes it can feel very hard to decide even 206 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: how to think about a choice that you're facing. I 207 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:16,600 Speaker 1: often say to myself, choose the bigger life, and only 208 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:18,960 Speaker 1: you know what the bigger life is for you, and 209 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:21,440 Speaker 1: different people could have it, you know, the bigger life 210 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 1: for someone and what else would have been a legal career, absolutely, 211 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:27,199 Speaker 1: But when I framed the question for myself that way, 212 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: it was obvious to me that if I could make 213 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: a go of it, the bigger life was to be 214 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: the life of to have the life of a writer. 215 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 1: And so that's kind of clarifying because sometimes I don't 216 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: know about you, but like my pros and cons lists 217 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: are often very evenly balanced, and I'm like, I can't 218 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:46,200 Speaker 1: reason my way out of this decision, you know. It's 219 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: like I can't do it on the on the facts 220 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: and the numbers. I have to find a way to 221 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 1: try to plum my plumb my depths, and that's hard. 222 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 2: And I mean this idea of I would rather be 223 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 2: happy trying something that's unknown versus un happy in you know, 224 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 2: the comfortable. I think that so many struggle from leaving 225 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 2: you know, that place of comfort to go towards something 226 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 2: else that they want. 227 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:13,160 Speaker 1: Well, but here's the thing about being happy, I think 228 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 1: sometimes and I couldn't say this if I were a scientist, 229 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 1: but happiness does not always make us feel happy. And 230 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,080 Speaker 1: so if you say like, I'll be happy if I 231 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: give up my legal job and try writing, well, you're 232 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:27,560 Speaker 1: not probably going to feel very happy. You're probably going 233 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: to feel insecure and anxious and kind of like uninformed 234 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 1: and out of your depth. And everybody knows what's going on, 235 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 1: and everybody got the secret memo and what happened to 236 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: me when I felt like I was on the top 237 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 1: of my game and I knew what I was doing. 238 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:43,199 Speaker 1: It might not make you feel happy, like in terms 239 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 1: of like, oh I feel good right now. It's more 240 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:47,880 Speaker 1: it's a it's a kind of happiness that's more like 241 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: I'm living up to the life that I want for myself, 242 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 1: and that is often very painful. 243 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 2: But I mean as someone and I think that you 244 00:11:57,640 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 2: and I kind of operate in the same way. From 245 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 2: a bit I know about you and from listening to 246 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 2: you there's so much thrill in like hunting your own 247 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 2: potential when you're willing to take that leap, right, But. 248 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:10,320 Speaker 1: Some people don't like thrills. I don't know that I'm 249 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:13,480 Speaker 1: a person who's thrill seeking or adventure seeking, you know. 250 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:15,559 Speaker 1: I just think sometimes you do something because you know 251 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 1: it's what you want, and you just sort of accept 252 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:22,200 Speaker 1: that sometimes things just maybe just don't feel that good, 253 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,680 Speaker 1: like as they're unfolding for a while. I think for 254 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 1: some people it does, and it's really exciting and fun. 255 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: I happen not to be one of those kinds of people, 256 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 1: but that doesn't mean it has to stop you from 257 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: going after what you want. 258 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:38,439 Speaker 2: So for you, in those first maybe months or a 259 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 2: couple of years after making this pivot, what would you 260 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 2: say were the biggest hurdles for you? 261 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:47,719 Speaker 1: Well, the biggest hurdles was does I didn't know what 262 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: to do? You know, I had a book, and I'm 263 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:51,679 Speaker 1: the kind of person who's really good at like taking 264 00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: a book and following directions. But it's one thing to 265 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 1: read like a paragraph in a book and it's like 266 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:59,880 Speaker 1: you know, and another thing to turn that into into action. 267 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 1: And so part of it was just I was entering 268 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:06,440 Speaker 1: an entirely new field, and so I had to try 269 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:09,079 Speaker 1: to become more knowledgeable about I mean, I knew tons 270 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:11,599 Speaker 1: and tons about literature and books and reading, but I 271 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:14,560 Speaker 1: didn't know about the book industry. And so one of 272 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 1: the things I would say to anybody is really educate 273 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:18,640 Speaker 1: yourself on Like, if you want to have a job 274 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: in that industry, you have to think about, like, well, 275 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 1: how does that industry work? What's everybody in that If 276 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: you were in that field, what would be the big 277 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:28,680 Speaker 1: news that you would be talking about? How do people 278 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:31,679 Speaker 1: think about things? Like One mistake I see a lot 279 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 1: of new writers making is they think what people care 280 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: about is how how intensely I want to write or 281 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 1: how deeply committed I am to my subject. But you see, 282 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 1: if you're an agent or an editor, what you really 283 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 1: worry about is is there an audience for this book? 284 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 1: Are people going to be excited to read this book? 285 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:50,840 Speaker 1: Are you a person who can actually complete this book? 286 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: So they're thinking about different things. Both of those things 287 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 1: are important, but I think sometimes people don't. You know, 288 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: you have to think about, well, how do I fit 289 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:01,359 Speaker 1: my If I want this to be my fashion, how 290 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:05,400 Speaker 1: do I think about this in terms of doing it professionally, 291 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:07,400 Speaker 1: because there's some things that you do that you love 292 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 1: to do that you wouldn't do professionally. But then sometimes 293 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 1: maybe you want to think about you know, it's like 294 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 1: if you were love to do photography and then you're like, 295 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:17,480 Speaker 1: now I want to switch to be a wedding photographer. Well, 296 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:19,120 Speaker 1: now you have a whole bunch of new skills that 297 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:22,480 Speaker 1: you need, which you can get, but you start needing 298 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: to think about what's the business of being a wedding photographer, 299 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: not just like ooh, maybe i'll put another tree in 300 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: the foreground. It's like, yeah, that's still important, but there's 301 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: this other thing too. 302 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 3: There's this other thing too. 303 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 2: And then in this I'm curious to know if you 304 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 2: struggled with the idea of feeling like you weren't doing 305 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 2: enough while you were trying to figure it out. 306 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: I mean I was always trying to do more. I 307 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 1: was always trying to do whatever whatever I could. So yeah, 308 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 1: I think I did have the feeling like is there more? 309 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: Is there more? What should I be doing? Sometimes it's 310 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:56,920 Speaker 1: painful to be like I would do more, but I 311 00:14:56,920 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 1: don't know what to do, you know. I think that's 312 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: also very frustrating when you think I want to go 313 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:03,440 Speaker 1: the extra mile, but I don't even know what direction 314 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: to go in, Which is why I think getting as 315 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 1: educated as you can be kind of can help you 316 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 1: manage that kind of anxiety, because the more you know, 317 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: the more you're like, oh, I see what I could 318 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: do that would be a good use of my time 319 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 1: and my energy, and I see the things that I 320 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 1: don't need to worry about. You know, the more the 321 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 1: more the more you bring to it, the more you 322 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 1: can get from it. 323 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 2: And I know in writing The Happiness Project you talked 324 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 2: about not necessarily at all becoming an overnight success, but 325 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 2: maybe it looking that way. I know, in writing The 326 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 2: Happiness Project you did something that a lot of authors 327 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 2: don't conventionally do, which is draft a lot of this 328 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 2: book about the whole book before really signing a book deal. 329 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 3: Correct, Yes, so talk to me about that process. 330 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:44,640 Speaker 1: Well, this has happened to me more than more than once. 331 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:48,000 Speaker 1: I will say that where I can't really dis like 332 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 1: when you're trying to get somebody to buy a book, 333 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 1: and you know, get excited about a book, you have 334 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: to explain what it is, and you have to do 335 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 1: the whole elevator pitch where you can really sum it 336 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: up and crisply convey it. And a lot of times 337 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 1: I'm sort of like, I don't think I can really 338 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: explain it until I've written it. I don't know what 339 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,240 Speaker 1: I think until I write it, and I don't know 340 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:06,800 Speaker 1: what to think. And by the time I know what 341 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 1: I think, the book will be written, and so I 342 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:12,760 Speaker 1: have a hard time kind of knowing what I think 343 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:15,200 Speaker 1: in advance. I think some people know very very well 344 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 1: what they think and then they're just writing what they think, 345 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: whereas a lot of times I'm sort of trying to 346 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: figure out and I'm often very surprised by what I find. 347 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 1: I often find things that I didn't expect to find, 348 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: or things that I thought were true weren't true. So well, 349 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: like my book Better Than Before is all about it 350 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: have it change how we can make or break our habits. 351 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 1: That book, I was able to explain what it would be, 352 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 1: but I didn't even because I could describe it, even 353 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 1: though I didn't know the structure and exactly what my 354 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:43,440 Speaker 1: conclusions would be. It's like, Okay, do you want to 355 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: learn how to master your habits? Because I'm going to 356 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 1: figure that out. But I certainly wouldn't have been able 357 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:52,080 Speaker 1: to say, what's the framework that I'm going to use 358 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: to describe that answer because I took me. I had 359 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:55,800 Speaker 1: to write a whole book before I really probably had 360 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: to write two books to get the one book to 361 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: decide what I thought. 362 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it makes sense, and especially because of 363 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:06,959 Speaker 2: like the concept and the whole framework of the Happiness Project. 364 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:09,200 Speaker 2: For those who may be unfamiliar, if there are any 365 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 2: listening to the pod, why don't you talk a little 366 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:13,679 Speaker 2: bit about what the Happiness Project really is. 367 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:16,360 Speaker 1: So it was a year long experiment that I did 368 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 1: on myself. I was my own guinea pig to try 369 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 1: to see, you know, is it possible to make yourself happier, healthier, 370 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,680 Speaker 1: more productive, more creative? You know, what is happiness? Could 371 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 1: I make myself happier? And if I could make myself happier, 372 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:36,639 Speaker 1: what would I do? And what would I try to adjust? 373 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 1: Or you know, what would I try to have more 374 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:39,960 Speaker 1: of or less of? And so I figured that a 375 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:42,160 Speaker 1: year was the kind of the right amount of time 376 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: for there to be real change, but it felt, you know, manageable, 377 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:49,120 Speaker 1: and so I gave every month a theme related to happiness, 378 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:51,120 Speaker 1: something that I wanted to work on, so it might 379 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:55,120 Speaker 1: have been friendship or energy, and then I would give 380 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:59,439 Speaker 1: myself a handful of concrete, manageable resolutions to try that 381 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 1: I thought help my happiness in that area. And so 382 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:06,720 Speaker 1: it's very practical and very much like what can you 383 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 1: do tomorrow without spending a lot of time, energy, or money, 384 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:11,679 Speaker 1: you know. So it's not like I'm going to go 385 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 1: on a three week silent meditation retreat, because I'm like, 386 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:17,199 Speaker 1: I really have to have things that I can do 387 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:19,240 Speaker 1: as part of my ordinary day, as part of my 388 00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:22,600 Speaker 1: ordinary routine. But it turns out that for me and 389 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: I and since the books come out, I've talked to 390 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 1: so many people, for most of us, there's a lot 391 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:28,640 Speaker 1: of low hanging fruit. There's plenty of things that we 392 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 1: can do to move the needle, to make ourselves happier 393 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:35,160 Speaker 1: within the context of our ordinary day, even if we're very, 394 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 1: very busy. 395 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:38,160 Speaker 2: And I think that that's like what makes the whole 396 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:41,159 Speaker 2: concept so accessible, right, I mean, you approached it in 397 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 2: such a way that the everyday person or someone who 398 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 2: you know relates to you can certainly go and create 399 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 2: their own happiness project of sorts. And in setting you know, 400 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 2: the themes, so to speak, are choosing each value for 401 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 2: every month. How did you settle on those twelve specifics. 402 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 1: Well, that's a really interesting question because you know, I 403 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:04,720 Speaker 1: picked the things where I thought I had the most 404 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 1: to gain in terms of happiness, but other people would 405 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 1: pick other things. So, for instance, I've never been a 406 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 1: person who's particularly inclined toward music, but for some people, 407 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:17,240 Speaker 1: music is like an incredibly important element of their life. 408 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 1: And I've talked to many people where music what's a 409 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:22,200 Speaker 1: whole theme. So they might have had, like their resolutions 410 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:25,199 Speaker 1: might have had things like get back into practicing an instrument, 411 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:27,680 Speaker 1: or learn a new instrument, or join a group or 412 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:30,360 Speaker 1: a choir, or make an effort to listen to new 413 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:34,399 Speaker 1: music consistently, or go to life concerts or you know, 414 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 1: there's a lot of things you can do if you 415 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 1: want to bring that into your life more. For me, 416 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,159 Speaker 1: it didn't. It wasn't something that for me I wanted 417 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: to work on. And I would say that that's one 418 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:46,119 Speaker 1: of the big things that I learned that surprised me 419 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:49,639 Speaker 1: is that there that we all want different things, Like 420 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 1: we have different interests and aims and values, and we 421 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: all need to get there in a different way. Like 422 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 1: I love to do something very consistently. If it's important 423 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 1: to me, I try to do it every single day. 424 00:19:57,880 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 1: For me, it's easier if something happens every single day. 425 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:03,280 Speaker 1: Other people want to feel more spontaneity. They want to 426 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:05,480 Speaker 1: have a different kind of approach and there so there 427 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 1: is no magic, one size fits all solution. And it's 428 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:11,200 Speaker 1: interesting because I've talked to so many people. I created. 429 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:14,879 Speaker 1: I've created these new journals because I realized, like a 430 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: lot of people have the aim of, like I want 431 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:19,320 Speaker 1: to keep a journal. That's a very very common resolution 432 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:21,280 Speaker 1: that people have. Whether they want a journal because they 433 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:23,480 Speaker 1: want reflection, or they want a journal because they want 434 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:25,920 Speaker 1: to like track how many miles they've run in a day, 435 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:27,560 Speaker 1: you know, they want to keep some kind of record 436 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 1: of their life. And I realize people are very different. 437 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:32,920 Speaker 1: Some people want to don't break the chain where they 438 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 1: like check it off if they did it, and they 439 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:36,439 Speaker 1: write down how many miles and then they have like 440 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:38,240 Speaker 1: a little note where they write down all the different 441 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:40,919 Speaker 1: roots they did or the different hikes they did, or 442 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 1: you know like that. And then some people want to 443 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:45,639 Speaker 1: write one sentence every day. They don't want to keep 444 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,480 Speaker 1: a traditional journal where they're writing a couple of pages. 445 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:50,760 Speaker 1: That's too much work, so they want to write just 446 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: one sentence. That's a great way to keep a journal. 447 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:56,920 Speaker 1: There's you know, you don't have to Just because something 448 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:59,919 Speaker 1: doesn't work for you as a method or a tool 449 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: doesn't mean that you've failed at an aim. It just 450 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:05,119 Speaker 1: means like, Okay, well, is there a different way that 451 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,320 Speaker 1: I could meet this aim? Because we have different aims 452 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:10,639 Speaker 1: and we also have different styles. 453 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:13,119 Speaker 2: Yeah, And I mean you're truly talking about the power 454 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 2: of habit right here. So for those that struggle to 455 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:20,240 Speaker 2: create and maintain habits, they maybe get into something for 456 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:22,560 Speaker 2: a week or two and then they fall off the bandwagon, 457 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:26,919 Speaker 2: which can totally feel certainly discouraging. What helpful tools or 458 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 2: suggestions you have for them to get in the groove 459 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 2: and stay in the groove. 460 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,680 Speaker 1: Right If you're trying, if you're struggling, as many people do, 461 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:37,159 Speaker 1: to form a consistent habit, here's a couple things to 462 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:40,560 Speaker 1: think about. I have a four tendency s framework that 463 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:45,199 Speaker 1: divides people into upholder's questioners, obligers, and rebels. And if 464 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 1: you want to take a quiz and find out what 465 00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: you are, you can go to Gretchen Reuben dot com 466 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:53,119 Speaker 1: slash four tendencies and take a quick quiz there and 467 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:55,040 Speaker 1: find it out and you get a little report on yourself. 468 00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 3: It's very helpful. I'm being uphold there, Gretchen. 469 00:21:56,920 --> 00:22:01,959 Speaker 1: Oh, Emily, I knew that ten minutes in, and I 470 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,680 Speaker 1: love it because I'm an upholder too, so we're on 471 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:06,960 Speaker 1: the same life. But so anyway, so that's the quiz 472 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 1: if you want to find that out and understand what 473 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:10,360 Speaker 1: it means to be an upholder. So it's all there. 474 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:12,200 Speaker 1: But what I will say, just sort of generally, even 475 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: if you don't know about those categories, is that for many, 476 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 1: many people, they really need outer accountability to meet an 477 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 1: inner expectation. So if you said your things said to yourself, 478 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,679 Speaker 1: things like I always keep my promises to other people, 479 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:28,919 Speaker 1: but I have trouble keeping my promises myself. I have 480 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,920 Speaker 1: trouble making time for self care. I have trouble putting 481 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 1: myself first. I always give one hundred and ten percent 482 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:36,760 Speaker 1: to my clients or my customers or my family, but 483 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:39,480 Speaker 1: I don't have any time for me. Then what I 484 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:41,720 Speaker 1: would say you need, I'm saying you're an obliger in 485 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:45,880 Speaker 1: my framework and you need outer accountability even to meet 486 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:48,440 Speaker 1: an inner expectation. So if you want to read more, 487 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 1: join a book group, if you want to go for 488 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: a run every day, go with a friend who's going 489 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: to be annoyed if you don't show up. You know, 490 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 1: work out with a train or at a gym, raise 491 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 1: money for a charity. You want to create a system 492 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:04,960 Speaker 1: about our accountability. For some people, that is what is necessary. 493 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:07,639 Speaker 1: So one thing to think about is like, do I 494 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:10,439 Speaker 1: do better when I have accountability? Because some people do not. 495 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 1: Rebels in my framework often do not like to have accountability. 496 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:17,440 Speaker 1: They don't want somebody looking over their shoulder, they don't 497 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,200 Speaker 1: want somebody knowing what they're doing or putting things on 498 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 1: the calendar particularly. But maybe you know about yourself like, 499 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:25,439 Speaker 1: oh wow, I really do do better when I'm in 500 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 1: some kind of framework of accounability. So that's one thing 501 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:30,040 Speaker 1: to think about, and another thing to think about. There 502 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:34,119 Speaker 1: is just hilarious research showing how much more likely we 503 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:37,440 Speaker 1: are to do something if it's even the teensiest, tiniest 504 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:41,359 Speaker 1: bit more convenient. So I've talked to people who sleep 505 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:43,439 Speaker 1: in their workout clothes so they don't have to get 506 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:47,199 Speaker 1: dressed in the morning. There's this research showing that if 507 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 1: there's a salad bar and people have to use tongs 508 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:52,200 Speaker 1: instead of spoons, they take less food because it's just 509 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:55,480 Speaker 1: a little bit more effort to use tongues. So anything 510 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:57,919 Speaker 1: you can do to shave off, if you can use 511 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 1: a hook instead of a hangar, if you can pay 512 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 1: a little bit more for a gym that's right across 513 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,439 Speaker 1: the street from your office, you know, like when everything's 514 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 1: back to normal, then one that's like three blocks away. 515 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: Any little bit of convenience tends to make it easier, 516 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:13,920 Speaker 1: and you can also use it on the opposite. Any 517 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,920 Speaker 1: inconvenience makes it harder to do something. So I've talked 518 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:19,240 Speaker 1: to people who wanted to watch less TV. They weren't 519 00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 1: giving up TV, they wanted to watch less so they 520 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:23,600 Speaker 1: put their remote control in a really inconvenient place so 521 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:26,640 Speaker 1: they wouldn't just like, you know, be like, oh, I'll 522 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:28,679 Speaker 1: just wander by and watch for five minutes because like, oh, 523 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: it's too much of a house to go get the remote, 524 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:33,360 Speaker 1: you know. So anything you don't want yourself to do, 525 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:36,439 Speaker 1: make that inconvenient, because a lot of times just that 526 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:39,720 Speaker 1: little bit of friction is all you need. To kind 527 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 1: of turn your path, and that's when habits become automatic, 528 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:51,119 Speaker 1: you know, effortless. There's no decision fatigue. 529 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 3: It's just it just happens, product of our environment. 530 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:53,720 Speaker 1: You know. 531 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:54,440 Speaker 3: It's interesting. 532 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 2: I feel like with one of the biggest habits, so 533 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 2: to speak, or journeys that I on when I was younger, 534 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 2: back in college, I lost a ton of weight with 535 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:06,919 Speaker 2: the help of weight watchers. And for me, it was 536 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:11,000 Speaker 2: never now obviously called WW. It was never about, really, 537 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:15,000 Speaker 2: to be honest with you, using the WW plan, as 538 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:17,480 Speaker 2: it was about the fact that I had to show 539 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:20,679 Speaker 2: up somewhere on like Tuesday nights and get on a 540 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:24,440 Speaker 2: scale in front of another person, and that accountability factor 541 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:26,800 Speaker 2: was the thing that helped me stay on track. Now 542 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:29,240 Speaker 2: these days, I would say I have a lot more 543 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:34,119 Speaker 2: intrinsic motivation. I have progressed along my journey and you know, 544 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:37,200 Speaker 2: done my fair share of study reading and book reading 545 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:40,480 Speaker 2: and talking and reflecting. And so it's interesting though, because 546 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 2: these different you know, archetypes, are these different types of 547 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:47,680 Speaker 2: people or types of habit formation. You might be one 548 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 2: way for one thing and find that it's a little 549 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:51,359 Speaker 2: bit different for something else. 550 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:54,399 Speaker 1: Yeah, Well, it's interesting kind of along those lines. Another 551 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:57,040 Speaker 1: distinction that I found when I was studying habits as 552 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:00,040 Speaker 1: substainers and moderators, And this is when you're facing a 553 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:03,359 Speaker 1: strong temptation, not a weak temptation, a strong temptation. So like, 554 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 1: I have a really really strong sweet tooth. And what 555 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:08,199 Speaker 1: I found is that if you're an abstainer like me, 556 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:10,439 Speaker 1: it's easier to have none, it's easier to give it 557 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:12,719 Speaker 1: up altogether, than it is to have a little bit. 558 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 1: And so I could never understand, like, oh, I just 559 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:18,560 Speaker 1: have one little square at fine Chocolate and that's all 560 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:20,439 Speaker 1: I need. Who doesn't have half of brownie? That's all 561 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:21,919 Speaker 1: you want? I'm like, the minute I have half, I 562 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:22,880 Speaker 1: want three. 563 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:23,840 Speaker 3: Yeoh same. 564 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:26,960 Speaker 1: But moderators are different. They're the kind of people that 565 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:30,399 Speaker 1: want the one square. They do better when they have 566 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:32,639 Speaker 1: a little bit when they have it sometimes and they 567 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 1: get kind of panicky and rebellious if they're told they 568 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 1: can never have anything. And so, and like, I'm a 569 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,120 Speaker 1: moderator when it comes to something like wine. I don't 570 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:41,879 Speaker 1: really care about wine, so I can have half a 571 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 1: glass of wine. Whereas a friend of mine said, it's 572 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:46,760 Speaker 1: none or four glasses. There is no in between. For me. 573 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:50,200 Speaker 1: So's so you might be an abstainer about one kind 574 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:52,240 Speaker 1: of temptation, but then other things you're like, eeah, it 575 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 1: doesn't really matter. But when I realized that I'm an abstainer, 576 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:59,840 Speaker 1: because all these moderators were like clearly sincerely giving me 577 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:02,959 Speaker 1: the advice that obviously didn't work for me, and I, 578 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 1: as an abstainer, was like say to think people like 579 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:06,959 Speaker 1: why don't you just give it up cold turkey? Why 580 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:09,239 Speaker 1: do you keep breaking the rules? Like just like just 581 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:11,560 Speaker 1: get it off your plate. And then finally I realize 582 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:14,160 Speaker 1: there's no one right way, there's no one best way. 583 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 1: It's just whatever is better for you, And moderators don't 584 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:21,840 Speaker 1: understand that for an abstainer like me, abstaining is easier. 585 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:24,639 Speaker 1: It's the easier way. And it's hard for me to 586 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:27,840 Speaker 1: understand that for a moderator that's easier. It's kind of 587 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,440 Speaker 1: hard to put yourself in somebody else's shoes. But once 588 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 1: you realize like people are different, like, oh, I'm married 589 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:35,240 Speaker 1: to somebody who's a moderator, but I'm an abstainer, So 590 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:38,920 Speaker 1: now it's not about convincing someone else that I'm right. 591 00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 1: It's about how do we create a situation where we 592 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 1: both thrive. 593 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:43,880 Speaker 3: And that's such an important question. Right. 594 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 2: My father's the kind of guy that can keep like 595 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:49,080 Speaker 2: six different flavors of ice creams in the freezer. Well 596 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:51,320 Speaker 2: I'm sure some of them like have been in there, 597 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:53,440 Speaker 2: no offend, but like maybe. 598 00:27:53,119 --> 00:27:55,800 Speaker 1: For a year, like the covered with the crystals, and 599 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 1: you're like, how does this happen? Now? 600 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 3: Does it? 601 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:02,639 Speaker 2: I wouldn't say that way in my home, not at 602 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:04,679 Speaker 2: all because again going back to what we were just 603 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 2: talking about a product of our environment. 604 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:07,720 Speaker 3: Right. 605 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:10,960 Speaker 1: But see, for a moderator, it doesn't bother them, whereas 606 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:13,919 Speaker 1: like for an abstainer, it calls to you. You're like, 607 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:18,000 Speaker 1: there's one just one bite, just two more bites, half 608 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,359 Speaker 1: a bite of each flavor. You know what I mean. 609 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,480 Speaker 1: It's Monday, it's my birthday, it's raining outside, I had 610 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:25,679 Speaker 1: a terrible day. I've been so good. I'll be so 611 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:28,080 Speaker 1: good starting tomorrow. Like there's a million things, But for 612 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:30,440 Speaker 1: some people it's like I like knowing that it's there, 613 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 1: and if I have a little you know, I want 614 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:33,640 Speaker 1: a little something sweet. Oh, it's go get a bite 615 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:35,960 Speaker 1: or two. I'm like that works for you, and that's great. 616 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:38,120 Speaker 1: But if there's somebody in the house who's like, truly 617 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 1: is just going to weigh on my mind in the 618 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:41,240 Speaker 1: middle of the night, wake me up, and like I'm 619 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,720 Speaker 1: going to be dragged in there by like the tractor 620 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 1: beam of the death Star. Like we got to figure 621 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:49,440 Speaker 1: out how to work that out, you know, because because 622 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 1: we're different, and that's that's okay. We don't have to 623 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:54,800 Speaker 1: agree on what's the best way. We just have to say, well, 624 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:56,280 Speaker 1: this is how, this is what works for me. 625 00:28:56,840 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 2: Let's go back a little bit to your story and 626 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:03,240 Speaker 2: talk about after the Happiness Project comes out, how are 627 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:07,880 Speaker 2: you feeling at this point, because again we've referenced a 628 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:12,480 Speaker 2: couple of times now it's seemingly being this scenario where 629 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 2: it was like this woman came out of nowhere and 630 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:17,239 Speaker 2: she is brilliant and oh my goodness, and you're like, 631 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:18,360 Speaker 2: I've been here, but. 632 00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: Oh it was great. I mean, because you're big here 633 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:25,680 Speaker 1: as a writer is that you can't keep going, you know. 634 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:27,280 Speaker 1: So you're like, You're like, I want to be able 635 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:30,440 Speaker 1: to write, keep writing, And I am so lucky because 636 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:33,760 Speaker 1: every book that I write, I say to myself many 637 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 1: times when I'm writing it, It'll never be this good again. 638 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:39,360 Speaker 1: This is the best it's ever going to get. I'm 639 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:41,200 Speaker 1: never going to be so interested in a subject. This 640 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: is never going to be so juicy, I'm so delicious. 641 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 1: I am never going to have this much fun again. 642 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 1: And then with my next book, I'm like, oh my goodness, 643 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:53,680 Speaker 1: this is the best. Now I'm at the top, Now 644 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:57,440 Speaker 1: I'm at the most interesting subject. So I'm really fortunate 645 00:29:57,520 --> 00:29:59,800 Speaker 1: because all my books kind of naturally have led into 646 00:29:59,840 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 1: the next book, and so I'm never sort of like 647 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: anxiously awaiting some kind of lightning bolt. I'm always sort 648 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:08,080 Speaker 1: of like already starting to think about something and get 649 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 1: interested in something, and then I poke around and a 650 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 1: lot of you know, I have to figure out like 651 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:14,479 Speaker 1: what what what my way in is or kind of 652 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: what my what my what my perspective is on something. 653 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:19,640 Speaker 1: But I've always but I always know sort of what 654 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:21,800 Speaker 1: the next thing is going to be. And that is 655 00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:24,520 Speaker 1: one thing when i was growing up, my father would 656 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:26,800 Speaker 1: always say to my sister and me, enjoy the process, 657 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:30,360 Speaker 1: meaning if you can enjoy the process, outcomes don't matter 658 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:32,520 Speaker 1: as much. It's not that they're not important, but it's 659 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:34,959 Speaker 1: like everything doesn't stand or fall on an outcome. If 660 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:37,840 Speaker 1: you've enjoyed the process. And that's definitely true as a writer, 661 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:39,720 Speaker 1: because I've had some books do very well. I've had 662 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:42,320 Speaker 1: some book If a book flops, what they tell you 663 00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:45,360 Speaker 1: is that it fails to failed to find its audience. 664 00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:47,720 Speaker 1: That's the delicate way they tell you. And that thing 665 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:50,000 Speaker 1: was a big flop. I've had books that failed to 666 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:53,200 Speaker 1: find their audience. But because I have enjoyed the process 667 00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:57,440 Speaker 1: so much, I still have enjoyed it. You know, I'm 668 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 1: still like I loved that book. I loved writing that book, 669 00:31:01,520 --> 00:31:03,800 Speaker 1: and now I've got something else that I'm really really 670 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:06,920 Speaker 1: excited about. And so and writers will often give that 671 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:09,560 Speaker 1: advice to each other. It's like, don't hang all your 672 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 1: hopes on this book, like have you your next book? 673 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:16,160 Speaker 1: And so you're excited and you're moving forward because you 674 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:19,440 Speaker 1: don't want to get too hung up on something that's really, 675 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:22,080 Speaker 1: in many ways outside your control, and so you want 676 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: to you just want to manage your expectations and just 677 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:28,320 Speaker 1: keep moving forward. It's a milestone in the life of 678 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:32,600 Speaker 1: a writer, but it's not. It's not like everything rises 679 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:35,960 Speaker 1: or falls on like what happens like in a particular month. 680 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:38,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I'd love to wrap on this concept 681 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:41,560 Speaker 2: for just a second, because I actually it's super applicable 682 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 2: to something that I'm going through, and I know something 683 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:48,120 Speaker 2: that many individuals struggle with pinning all of your perhaps 684 00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:52,000 Speaker 2: self proclaimed success on the outcome that is uncontrollable. 685 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:53,000 Speaker 3: Like all you can do. 686 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:55,920 Speaker 2: Is poor whatever you can and whatever you have into 687 00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 2: something and hope for the best. Right, do everything you 688 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:01,479 Speaker 2: can within your power to. As my family motto is, 689 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:04,640 Speaker 2: to do good. Right now, I'm dealing with an injury. 690 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 2: I'm supposed to run a marathon in two and a 691 00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:09,640 Speaker 2: half weeks or I think we're under that now, and 692 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:13,080 Speaker 2: I'm at a place actually where I'm quite at peace 693 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 2: with whatever decision that I'm going to have to call 694 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:17,840 Speaker 2: in the next you know, a week or so, because 695 00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:23,080 Speaker 2: I like you as you're referencing, really take appreciation for 696 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:25,880 Speaker 2: the process that got me here, right and the things 697 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 2: that I gained and the opportunity costs that go hand 698 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:32,240 Speaker 2: in hand with running the marathon, not basing all the 699 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:36,000 Speaker 2: success on that final event. For individuals who struggle with 700 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:38,840 Speaker 2: this mindset, perhaps you know, as many would call it 701 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:41,320 Speaker 2: at times, a growth mindset, What is it that you 702 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:44,320 Speaker 2: tell them to help them kind of get over that hurdle. 703 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:47,360 Speaker 1: Well, one thing I'll tell them because I tell it 704 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:49,959 Speaker 1: to myself all the time, Like whatever your aim is, 705 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:51,680 Speaker 1: Like your aim is to run that marathon, My aim 706 00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:55,000 Speaker 1: is like writing a book that finds its audience. There 707 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:58,480 Speaker 1: are almost always there are many ways for that to succeed. 708 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:02,080 Speaker 1: So you're running a marathon. Many ways this for this 709 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:04,280 Speaker 1: marathon to succeed for you. One is that you actually 710 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:06,080 Speaker 1: run it and you have a wonderful adventure, and that's 711 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:08,240 Speaker 1: really exciting, and that's something that you hope will happen. 712 00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:10,880 Speaker 1: But if you've enjoyed the process, one of the ways 713 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:14,000 Speaker 1: that it's succeeded is that it has already succeeded because 714 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:16,120 Speaker 1: you've had all the training and all the planning that 715 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 1: you've been doing along the way. And another way that 716 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:20,640 Speaker 1: it's succeeded is that it's keeping you connected to your 717 00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:22,760 Speaker 1: identity as a runner and being part of this group 718 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 1: of people who are marathoners. And that's like an exciting 719 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:27,840 Speaker 1: that's an excite. I'm sure that's a very not part 720 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 1: an identity that I identify with, but I sound seems 721 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:33,120 Speaker 1: very cool from the outside. It's a really you know, 722 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:36,160 Speaker 1: it's a passionate identity. If people are really committed to that, 723 00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:39,200 Speaker 1: that's a way to succeed. And even the idea that like, 724 00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:41,719 Speaker 1: you know what, I've come to a point where I 725 00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 1: am not going to overtrain, and you've probably made that 726 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:47,040 Speaker 1: mistake in the past, where like you didn't listen to 727 00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:49,240 Speaker 1: your body and you took two steps forward and ten 728 00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:51,880 Speaker 1: steps back. I had a friend who loved running so 729 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:54,840 Speaker 1: much that instead of being you know, off on the 730 00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:56,920 Speaker 1: sidelines for two weeks, it was six months because she 731 00:33:57,040 --> 00:33:59,360 Speaker 1: like rebroke her toe and it was this whole, big, 732 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:01,920 Speaker 1: huge thing. You can be Like, one way that this 733 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:04,960 Speaker 1: succeeded is that I handled it in the way that's 734 00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:07,040 Speaker 1: right for me in the long term. And so I've 735 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:08,640 Speaker 1: learned from my mistakes and this is going to help 736 00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:11,480 Speaker 1: me going forward. Maybe I'll write an article about it, 737 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:14,000 Speaker 1: I'll do a podcast about it and talk about going 738 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:15,920 Speaker 1: through this, and many many people will benefit from my 739 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:18,520 Speaker 1: experience and like their lives will be happier and healthier 740 00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:22,000 Speaker 1: because of what I learned from going through this. That's 741 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:24,480 Speaker 1: a huge success. So there are many ways for something 742 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:27,160 Speaker 1: to succeed, And so if you just pick one metric, 743 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:29,440 Speaker 1: like on this morning, Am I going to get up 744 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:33,200 Speaker 1: and run a marathon? Yes? Or no? Well that's a 745 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:35,600 Speaker 1: very narrow window of success. But if you think, well, 746 00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:38,719 Speaker 1: how are other ways that? What else? There are many 747 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:42,440 Speaker 1: ways for this to succeed for me, many many elements 748 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:46,359 Speaker 1: of it leading off in all different directions, and some 749 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:48,080 Speaker 1: of which I might not even be able to foresee. 750 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:49,560 Speaker 1: At this point, I have to kind of go through 751 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:51,279 Speaker 1: it and then see what comes of it. A lot 752 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:53,120 Speaker 1: of times very unexpected things happen. 753 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:55,719 Speaker 2: You know, did you yourself lean into community a lot 754 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:58,800 Speaker 2: during those quote unquote flop moments for the books? 755 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:01,640 Speaker 1: You know, at that point I didn't really have a 756 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:04,279 Speaker 1: community because this was a while back, and so I did. 757 00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:08,680 Speaker 1: And in fact, but that's a very astute question because 758 00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:10,799 Speaker 1: when my book it was called It's Forty Ways to 759 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:13,520 Speaker 1: Look at JFK. It's a book that I love. I'm 760 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:15,480 Speaker 1: very proud of that book. I loved writing and it 761 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:17,959 Speaker 1: didn't find its audience for reasons that I understand now 762 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:20,600 Speaker 1: learned from that. But one of the things that it 763 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:22,480 Speaker 1: taught me, and this is one of those things where 764 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:24,480 Speaker 1: what do you know what's good news and what's bad news? 765 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:26,560 Speaker 1: Because sometimes that you think is like a big failure 766 00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 1: ends up being really important to later success or adventure. 767 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:33,400 Speaker 1: But I was so I felt so powerless. I'm like, 768 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:35,480 Speaker 1: there's so many people who are interested in the life 769 00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:37,479 Speaker 1: of JFK. I truly believe that I have a book 770 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:39,959 Speaker 1: that they would be fascinated by, but I can't tell 771 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:41,840 Speaker 1: them about the book. The only way I can do 772 00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:43,959 Speaker 1: it is if somebody writes a review of it. Because 773 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:45,799 Speaker 1: this was like before the Internet and all this kind 774 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:47,560 Speaker 1: you know, it was just as there was internet, but 775 00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:51,080 Speaker 1: like it wasn't where it is now. And then I thought, 776 00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:53,040 Speaker 1: you know what, I don't want to feel this way again. 777 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:55,719 Speaker 1: I want to be in contact with people who are 778 00:35:55,719 --> 00:35:58,000 Speaker 1: interested in the same subjects that I am. I want 779 00:35:58,040 --> 00:36:00,400 Speaker 1: to be able to talk to people who share my 780 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:03,600 Speaker 1: interests about what I'm excited about and let them know 781 00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:05,680 Speaker 1: what I've done if I've done something that I think 782 00:36:05,719 --> 00:36:08,319 Speaker 1: they would be interested in too. And that's what got 783 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:11,080 Speaker 1: me to start a blog so far back when I 784 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:13,279 Speaker 1: started writing that Happiness. I did that because I'm like, 785 00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:14,880 Speaker 1: I want to reach out to people now before I 786 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:17,400 Speaker 1: even have a book, And so that's when I started 787 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:20,840 Speaker 1: to build that community because but it came out of 788 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:23,600 Speaker 1: that feeling of I don't have a community, and I 789 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:28,000 Speaker 1: wish so much that I did that. Now going forward, 790 00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:29,920 Speaker 1: I'm really going to figure out how to create that. 791 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:33,560 Speaker 1: And of course, and since then, I just have gonne 792 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:35,560 Speaker 1: deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper, because I realized 793 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:42,080 Speaker 1: just like it's like like this vast, limitless treasure trove resource, 794 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:47,120 Speaker 1: you know, source of enthusiasm and engagement. So so I 795 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:48,960 Speaker 1: didn't think about it until you post the question, but 796 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 1: I think I guess, yes, I guess it was my 797 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:54,359 Speaker 1: lack of community that got me to create a community. 798 00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:57,600 Speaker 2: How indicative of the kind of person that you are, right, 799 00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:03,319 Speaker 2: because for so many that feeling of loneliness often transfers 800 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:06,960 Speaker 2: or transforms into great overwhelm and a little bit of 801 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:10,160 Speaker 2: self loathing. So rather than lingering in that malise, so 802 00:37:10,239 --> 00:37:14,040 Speaker 2: to speak, you were like, Okay, I feel alone and 803 00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:16,799 Speaker 2: without and I'm going to do something about that. 804 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:20,960 Speaker 1: Well, it's very true that this is something that we 805 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:22,880 Speaker 1: talk about on the Happier podcast all the time, that 806 00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:27,440 Speaker 1: that action is the antidote to anxiety. And so often 807 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:30,120 Speaker 1: you're exactly right when you feel that anxiety, when you 808 00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:33,160 Speaker 1: feel overwhelmed or like maybe like oh, oh gosh, like 809 00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:35,680 Speaker 1: I'm such a loser. It's not when you feel like 810 00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:38,719 Speaker 1: taking action or reaching out, but if you do, if 811 00:37:38,719 --> 00:37:40,760 Speaker 1: you can get yourself to take even a small step, 812 00:37:41,280 --> 00:37:44,160 Speaker 1: it often makes you feel much less anxious because you see, 813 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:47,279 Speaker 1: like I'm taking action, I have my self efficacy, like 814 00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:49,720 Speaker 1: we'll see where this goes. It sort of gets you moving. 815 00:37:50,719 --> 00:37:53,000 Speaker 1: And I mean I remember very clearly when I started, 816 00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:54,879 Speaker 1: the first time I was on my blog, I'm like, well, 817 00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:56,800 Speaker 1: no one will ever see this, so it doesn't matter. 818 00:37:56,880 --> 00:37:59,000 Speaker 1: You know, stakes are very low. I'm just doing this 819 00:37:59,080 --> 00:38:01,080 Speaker 1: for like an experiment, and I'm just doing like to 820 00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:07,000 Speaker 1: poke around. There's no audience, so you know who cares? Well, 821 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:10,000 Speaker 1: little did I know. But it all happened very gradually too. 822 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:12,759 Speaker 1: I think sometimes people are like, you know, we often 823 00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:15,080 Speaker 1: create a false choice or like it's either this or this. 824 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:18,080 Speaker 1: It's either nowhere or it's overwhelming. I either have no 825 00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:22,600 Speaker 1: footprint or I'm going to be trolled by internet jerks morning, 826 00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:24,120 Speaker 1: moon and night for the rest of my life. It's like, 827 00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:27,520 Speaker 1: you think there's something in between that, because I really 828 00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:30,839 Speaker 1: don't think those are the only two paths that are 829 00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:34,759 Speaker 1: in front of you. You know, sometimes people catastrophize, So 830 00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:36,640 Speaker 1: a little bit of action often goes a long way 831 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:40,560 Speaker 1: towards helping people with like when they're feeling anxiety, a. 832 00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:41,920 Speaker 3: Little bit of action goes a long way. 833 00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:44,239 Speaker 2: You also mentioned a buzzword before that I just want 834 00:38:44,239 --> 00:38:46,560 Speaker 2: to touch on quickly, and that is the word identity. 835 00:38:47,239 --> 00:38:50,720 Speaker 2: For many you know, there are circumstances beyond our control 836 00:38:50,840 --> 00:38:54,200 Speaker 2: that strip away a part of our identity, whether perhaps 837 00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:56,720 Speaker 2: you were a wife and now you're not a wife anymore, 838 00:38:56,920 --> 00:38:59,320 Speaker 2: or back to the example of like, I'm still a runner, 839 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:02,440 Speaker 2: but I'm not current running. For individuals who have to 840 00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:06,560 Speaker 2: struggle with that transition, although at times it might be 841 00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:09,640 Speaker 2: brief and for times it might be forever, how does 842 00:39:09,680 --> 00:39:12,040 Speaker 2: someone cope with that loss of identity? 843 00:39:13,360 --> 00:39:15,759 Speaker 1: This is such a profound question, and I have to 844 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:18,640 Speaker 1: admit that I was years into the research on this 845 00:39:18,760 --> 00:39:27,360 Speaker 1: until I really understood how powerful, how absolutely significant this 846 00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:29,960 Speaker 1: idea of what what are your ideas? And we all 847 00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:33,560 Speaker 1: have multiple identities, so what are your identities? And sometimes 848 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:35,919 Speaker 1: and I mean, and it comes up in all different 849 00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:37,719 Speaker 1: complicated ways. And I'm sure you've seen this too with 850 00:39:37,719 --> 00:39:39,520 Speaker 1: the people you've talked to, Like, sometimes people will be 851 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:42,239 Speaker 1: like well, I'm not really a yoga person, you know, 852 00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:44,799 Speaker 1: I can't claim to be a yoga person. I'm like, well, 853 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:46,560 Speaker 1: that's kind of funny because to me, you do yoga 854 00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:48,759 Speaker 1: three or four times a week and you've been doing 855 00:39:48,800 --> 00:39:50,200 Speaker 1: that for a couple of years. And they're like, oh, 856 00:39:50,200 --> 00:39:52,160 Speaker 1: but you know, I can't really say that I'm doing 857 00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:55,080 Speaker 1: I'm a big yoga person. I'm like, heck, yes you can. 858 00:39:55,200 --> 00:40:00,680 Speaker 1: Like there's no accrediting body today. You know, yeah, her actions, 859 00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:03,680 Speaker 1: that is your identity. You should own that identity and 860 00:40:03,680 --> 00:40:06,560 Speaker 1: feel good about that identity. Then, sometimes people have identities 861 00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:08,719 Speaker 1: that are not good for them, where they're like they 862 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:10,640 Speaker 1: kind of say like, oh, well, I could never do 863 00:40:10,680 --> 00:40:12,640 Speaker 1: that because you know, I'm so disorganized, I can never 864 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:14,680 Speaker 1: put anything away. I'm like, well, don't you don't have 865 00:40:14,719 --> 00:40:19,040 Speaker 1: to buy into that identity so much, because then maybe 866 00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:21,719 Speaker 1: you you don't lean in when you feel the urge 867 00:40:21,719 --> 00:40:25,040 Speaker 1: for organization. That's that's obviously like a very shallow kind 868 00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:28,040 Speaker 1: of example, but but sometimes people have identities that that 869 00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:32,239 Speaker 1: sort of are stumbling blocks for them or like make 870 00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:34,440 Speaker 1: them feel like it's so core to their identity that 871 00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:36,719 Speaker 1: they have certain kind of behaviors that they couldn't possibly 872 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:40,360 Speaker 1: break them. Like, just for an example, I know somebody 873 00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:42,719 Speaker 1: who said, well, I really identified as a baker, like 874 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:45,680 Speaker 1: I'm the person bringing cook cookies and cupcakes and I'm 875 00:40:45,680 --> 00:40:48,640 Speaker 1: the one, you know, bringing desserts and surprising people on 876 00:40:48,680 --> 00:40:51,440 Speaker 1: their birthdays. And she said, when I gave up sugar, 877 00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:53,680 Speaker 1: I had to give up that identity like I could 878 00:40:53,719 --> 00:40:55,799 Speaker 1: cook in other ways, but that kind of sort of 879 00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:57,520 Speaker 1: pastry baker, I had to like, oh up. And she 880 00:40:57,560 --> 00:41:00,880 Speaker 1: said that, like you say, even that's a was painful 881 00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:03,879 Speaker 1: because it meant rethinking my identity. What does it mean 882 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:06,439 Speaker 1: if I can't be like I'm the fun, super fun 883 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:09,400 Speaker 1: baker now that I'm doing something that For her, she 884 00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:12,080 Speaker 1: had developed diabetes. She really really wanted to do that, 885 00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:14,839 Speaker 1: so she had to grapple with that identity. And it 886 00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:16,799 Speaker 1: is hard. Sometimes we do it by choice, as in 887 00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:19,080 Speaker 1: her case, well sort of her choice, sort of not 888 00:41:19,120 --> 00:41:21,759 Speaker 1: her choice. Sometimes it's not your choice, like you're getting 889 00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:25,000 Speaker 1: a divorce, like you say. Sometimes it's like, oh, I 890 00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:27,319 Speaker 1: blew out my knees and so now I can't do 891 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:29,799 Speaker 1: mountain climbing anymore because I just you know, so it 892 00:41:29,880 --> 00:41:33,200 Speaker 1: was taken. You know, it wasn't my choice to change that, 893 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:36,279 Speaker 1: and I think it's something to really think about and 894 00:41:36,440 --> 00:41:40,920 Speaker 1: address and to acknowledge the pain of it, and then 895 00:41:40,960 --> 00:41:43,560 Speaker 1: to think about, well, are there other identities that might 896 00:41:43,640 --> 00:41:46,480 Speaker 1: be that might be related to that, or that might 897 00:41:46,520 --> 00:41:48,480 Speaker 1: give me the same kind of satisfaction. Maybe I can't 898 00:41:48,520 --> 00:41:52,239 Speaker 1: go mountain climbing anymore, but I could go walking. I 899 00:41:52,239 --> 00:41:54,520 Speaker 1: could do a gentle hike. And that taps into my 900 00:41:54,760 --> 00:41:57,239 Speaker 1: other an aspect of my identity, which is that I'd 901 00:41:57,239 --> 00:41:59,200 Speaker 1: love to be out in nature. I want to be 902 00:41:59,280 --> 00:42:01,239 Speaker 1: all alone. I feel like there's no one around for 903 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:04,480 Speaker 1: miles and it's just me in the natural world. It's like, well, 904 00:42:04,520 --> 00:42:07,600 Speaker 1: you can do that in other ways other than mountain climbing. 905 00:42:07,600 --> 00:42:09,200 Speaker 1: That was one way and you can't do that, and 906 00:42:09,239 --> 00:42:12,520 Speaker 1: that is sad, But there are other ways to claim 907 00:42:12,560 --> 00:42:14,400 Speaker 1: that identity for yourself in a way that works for 908 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:19,120 Speaker 1: you now. But it's surprised you. Like knowing myself is 909 00:42:19,160 --> 00:42:20,960 Speaker 1: so easy, like who am I just hang out with 910 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:24,720 Speaker 1: myself all day long, like super obvious, But it's actually 911 00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:27,080 Speaker 1: quite hard to know ourselves. And sometimes we don't want 912 00:42:27,080 --> 00:42:32,399 Speaker 1: to admit things that we identify with or a friend 913 00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:34,120 Speaker 1: of mine wanted to cut back on drinking. She didn't 914 00:42:34,120 --> 00:42:35,759 Speaker 1: want to give up drinking, but she wanted to cut back. 915 00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:38,040 Speaker 1: And she said, it's hard for me because I feel 916 00:42:38,080 --> 00:42:40,160 Speaker 1: like I'm the fun one. I'm the one that says 917 00:42:40,239 --> 00:42:42,040 Speaker 1: let's do it. I'm the one that says, let's order 918 00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:44,759 Speaker 1: another rand. And I'm like, but you're still fun. You 919 00:42:44,760 --> 00:42:47,400 Speaker 1: would always be fun. You're super fun. And she said, 920 00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:51,200 Speaker 1: you know what, I am super fun. I'm like, you're 921 00:42:51,239 --> 00:42:54,080 Speaker 1: super fun at breakfast, like you didn't need you know, 922 00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:56,319 Speaker 1: it doesn't depend on that, you know, but she had 923 00:42:56,360 --> 00:42:57,240 Speaker 1: to think that through. 924 00:42:57,719 --> 00:43:00,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, no, I totally totally hear you. 925 00:43:00,880 --> 00:43:03,400 Speaker 2: I could literally talk to you in so many different 926 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:06,879 Speaker 2: directions for forever about everything. But you did mention something 927 00:43:06,920 --> 00:43:08,480 Speaker 2: in here that I feel like is going to be 928 00:43:08,520 --> 00:43:10,120 Speaker 2: helpful to touch on really quick, which is you were 929 00:43:10,120 --> 00:43:12,640 Speaker 2: talking about the other woman who was trying to give 930 00:43:12,719 --> 00:43:14,399 Speaker 2: up sugar. And I know that this is something that 931 00:43:14,520 --> 00:43:18,160 Speaker 2: you did, So if you have talked to us a 932 00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:20,799 Speaker 2: little bit about what that experience was like for you 933 00:43:21,080 --> 00:43:23,040 Speaker 2: and maybe some takeaways that you have from it, because 934 00:43:23,040 --> 00:43:25,560 Speaker 2: I know that it is something that so many of 935 00:43:25,640 --> 00:43:28,400 Speaker 2: us think about doing pretty regularly. 936 00:43:29,520 --> 00:43:32,000 Speaker 1: I love it, I mean and I'm not saying everybody 937 00:43:32,080 --> 00:43:34,799 Speaker 1: would want to do it, or that everybody should do it, 938 00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:36,759 Speaker 1: or everybody would do it the way that I did it. 939 00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:39,319 Speaker 1: I'm just so I'll just talk about my experience. Yeah, 940 00:43:39,360 --> 00:43:42,560 Speaker 1: as I said, I have a very very strong sweet tooth, 941 00:43:42,600 --> 00:43:44,319 Speaker 1: and it was just this noise in my head all 942 00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:47,040 Speaker 1: the time. Now later, more and more one, two, three, 943 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:50,400 Speaker 1: does this count? What about this? And it was just 944 00:43:50,400 --> 00:43:55,600 Speaker 1: sort of always nagging at me. And then I just decided, 945 00:43:55,600 --> 00:43:57,360 Speaker 1: you don't need to give up sugar, and I basically 946 00:43:57,360 --> 00:43:58,839 Speaker 1: give up all cards. So I'm one of those I'm 947 00:43:59,200 --> 00:44:02,080 Speaker 1: one of those bonkers low carb people that you read about, 948 00:44:02,160 --> 00:44:04,760 Speaker 1: Like I really eat no carbs except for like nuts 949 00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:08,960 Speaker 1: and vegetables. And I just loved it because then all 950 00:44:08,960 --> 00:44:10,720 Speaker 1: that noise went out of my head. It was so boring, 951 00:44:10,760 --> 00:44:12,640 Speaker 1: it was so draining. It's just like it's off the table, 952 00:44:12,719 --> 00:44:16,200 Speaker 1: and now I can go, I can have ice cream 953 00:44:16,239 --> 00:44:18,000 Speaker 1: in the freezer and it doesn't bother me. And I 954 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:21,120 Speaker 1: can sit, you know, like at a table with the 955 00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:23,759 Speaker 1: big plate of cookie fresh baked chocolate of cookies in 956 00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:26,239 Speaker 1: the middle of the table and I'm not resisting it. 957 00:44:26,280 --> 00:44:29,680 Speaker 1: I don't even notice them because I just gave up sugar. 958 00:44:30,080 --> 00:44:34,040 Speaker 1: So and so that really really works for me, and 959 00:44:34,040 --> 00:44:36,640 Speaker 1: it just kind of it just kind of it made 960 00:44:36,719 --> 00:44:39,040 Speaker 1: me enjoy food more because people were like, but you're 961 00:44:39,040 --> 00:44:41,520 Speaker 1: giving up so much pleasure, and I'm like, for me, 962 00:44:41,840 --> 00:44:42,560 Speaker 1: it wasn't like that. 963 00:44:42,600 --> 00:44:42,840 Speaker 3: For me. 964 00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:45,759 Speaker 1: It's like I feel more pleasure now in food. It 965 00:44:45,800 --> 00:44:49,920 Speaker 1: feels much less complicated and much less draining. And I 966 00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:52,160 Speaker 1: also would have a thing where I would get super 967 00:44:52,280 --> 00:44:54,360 Speaker 1: hungry because I would have kind of spikes and drops 968 00:44:54,440 --> 00:44:57,839 Speaker 1: and like shaking hungry. And now it's like a much 969 00:44:57,880 --> 00:45:03,879 Speaker 1: more even kind of like grab agile hunger mounting, which 970 00:45:03,920 --> 00:45:06,080 Speaker 1: is just kind of in my day to day life. 971 00:45:06,120 --> 00:45:07,960 Speaker 1: I just find it much more pleasant to like have 972 00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:10,400 Speaker 1: that kind of pattern in my in my kind of 973 00:45:10,400 --> 00:45:13,719 Speaker 1: my rhythm of my day. But what I would say, 974 00:45:13,760 --> 00:45:15,600 Speaker 1: and again this kind of goes to standard moderator. For 975 00:45:15,640 --> 00:45:17,480 Speaker 1: me as an abstainer, it was just like okay, that's 976 00:45:17,480 --> 00:45:20,840 Speaker 1: off the table, and it was not. It was like okay, 977 00:45:21,200 --> 00:45:23,319 Speaker 1: you know, like once I just knew I wasn't having 978 00:45:23,400 --> 00:45:26,640 Speaker 1: any it was a lot easier. I will say that 979 00:45:26,680 --> 00:45:28,200 Speaker 1: for some some people don't want to do it this 980 00:45:28,239 --> 00:45:30,319 Speaker 1: way and that don't break the chain. Journal that I 981 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:32,000 Speaker 1: was talking about. A lot of people use it like 982 00:45:32,040 --> 00:45:34,160 Speaker 1: that because they're like, well, maybe I don't want to 983 00:45:34,160 --> 00:45:35,360 Speaker 1: do it every day, but I want to do it 984 00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:37,160 Speaker 1: most days, So I want to have an easy where 985 00:45:37,200 --> 00:45:38,719 Speaker 1: I can just like check it off, or like I 986 00:45:38,760 --> 00:45:41,040 Speaker 1: want to track it, you know. Or sometimes when people 987 00:45:41,120 --> 00:45:43,560 Speaker 1: are contemplating a big habit chance like this, they want 988 00:45:43,600 --> 00:45:46,000 Speaker 1: to kind of monitor their behavior in advance, which is 989 00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:48,760 Speaker 1: often very helpful to see like where am I now, 990 00:45:48,920 --> 00:45:51,560 Speaker 1: Like maybe I think I do this, but I actually 991 00:45:51,800 --> 00:45:54,800 Speaker 1: don't do that, Or maybe I actually eat pretty healthy 992 00:45:54,880 --> 00:45:56,960 Speaker 1: except on the weekends, and so maybe this is really 993 00:45:57,040 --> 00:45:59,879 Speaker 1: a weekend problem. It's not like a whole week problem. 994 00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:02,440 Speaker 1: Maybe this is a travel problem, or maybe this is 995 00:46:02,760 --> 00:46:04,560 Speaker 1: maybe I just maybe what I want to do is 996 00:46:04,600 --> 00:46:07,439 Speaker 1: stop eating after dinner. Like in the United States, people 997 00:46:07,480 --> 00:46:11,320 Speaker 1: eat a tremendous amount of like their daily intake after dinner. 998 00:46:11,920 --> 00:46:14,319 Speaker 1: And so maybe you're like, well, look now that I 999 00:46:14,480 --> 00:46:17,480 Speaker 1: like I'm tracking my habits, I'm seeing that's a pattern. 1000 00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:19,839 Speaker 1: And so I think sometimes when people want to like 1001 00:46:19,920 --> 00:46:24,000 Speaker 1: tackle really big behavior change, thinking about it kind of 1002 00:46:24,040 --> 00:46:27,200 Speaker 1: like day to day what do I do and what 1003 00:46:27,200 --> 00:46:30,040 Speaker 1: do I want to do? Can be a really really 1004 00:46:30,080 --> 00:46:34,520 Speaker 1: helpful strategy for people who who find it find it 1005 00:46:34,560 --> 00:46:36,759 Speaker 1: easy to do. Like some people they're like, ah, no, 1006 00:46:37,239 --> 00:46:39,160 Speaker 1: like throw that thing away. I do not want to 1007 00:46:39,239 --> 00:46:41,720 Speaker 1: use that. It's like, Okay, that's not gonna work for you. Fine, 1008 00:46:41,760 --> 00:46:44,680 Speaker 1: Like don't try to force it. Find a different tool. 1009 00:46:44,800 --> 00:46:49,040 Speaker 1: But but I've just found over time, this streak approach 1010 00:46:49,200 --> 00:46:51,560 Speaker 1: and the and the kind of reflecting on what I 1011 00:46:51,680 --> 00:46:55,920 Speaker 1: do approach really for many people gives them a lot 1012 00:46:55,920 --> 00:46:57,960 Speaker 1: of insight and a lot of motivation. 1013 00:46:58,360 --> 00:47:01,320 Speaker 2: Right right, And I mean in that you're also saying 1014 00:47:01,360 --> 00:47:03,960 Speaker 2: that it's important to be honest with yourself and ask 1015 00:47:04,040 --> 00:47:06,239 Speaker 2: yourself tough questions. 1016 00:47:06,760 --> 00:47:10,479 Speaker 1: Yes, oh yeah, oh you speak I think you yes, 1017 00:47:11,160 --> 00:47:14,480 Speaker 1: yes people, yes, yes, Well this is why it's really 1018 00:47:14,480 --> 00:47:16,000 Speaker 1: important to do it day to day and and and 1019 00:47:16,080 --> 00:47:18,360 Speaker 1: researchers talk about this problem all the time. They'll do 1020 00:47:18,440 --> 00:47:20,440 Speaker 1: research like yeah, what do you what did where were 1021 00:47:20,440 --> 00:47:22,200 Speaker 1: you eating a month ago? And it's like people are 1022 00:47:22,239 --> 00:47:25,920 Speaker 1: just making that up. We have no idea, and we're 1023 00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:30,319 Speaker 1: wildly more likely to we tip the scales in our 1024 00:47:30,360 --> 00:47:32,759 Speaker 1: in our own favor, Like you know, you remember the 1025 00:47:33,160 --> 00:47:35,840 Speaker 1: things that you're oh, I remember that you know that 1026 00:47:35,960 --> 00:47:38,120 Speaker 1: extremely healthy meal that I cooked after I went to 1027 00:47:38,160 --> 00:47:41,359 Speaker 1: the farmer's market, and then you're like, those other things 1028 00:47:41,480 --> 00:47:43,200 Speaker 1: kind of slide out of my mind. I don't I 1029 00:47:43,200 --> 00:47:47,600 Speaker 1: don't remember that that that particular uh, you know, trip 1030 00:47:47,719 --> 00:47:51,960 Speaker 1: to the to the strip mall. Yes, So absolutely honesty. 1031 00:47:52,440 --> 00:47:55,040 Speaker 1: If you want, if you want to, if you want 1032 00:47:55,080 --> 00:47:58,200 Speaker 1: to improve things or know yourself better, we have to 1033 00:47:58,239 --> 00:48:00,279 Speaker 1: be honest. And it's hard. It's often very hard. 1034 00:48:00,680 --> 00:48:01,719 Speaker 3: It's often very hard. 1035 00:48:01,760 --> 00:48:04,399 Speaker 2: I mean beyond talking to yourself about what you're eating 1036 00:48:04,480 --> 00:48:06,680 Speaker 2: and perhaps not being completely candid about writing all of 1037 00:48:06,680 --> 00:48:11,200 Speaker 2: those things down. The idea of asking tough questions is 1038 00:48:11,280 --> 00:48:15,080 Speaker 2: actually really important, right, not just with yourself but with 1039 00:48:15,280 --> 00:48:17,000 Speaker 2: other people in your life. 1040 00:48:17,080 --> 00:48:19,640 Speaker 3: So why don't we chat a little bit about that. 1041 00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:22,399 Speaker 2: I know that this is a category that you've done 1042 00:48:22,440 --> 00:48:23,880 Speaker 2: a little bit of work in as well. 1043 00:48:24,719 --> 00:48:27,239 Speaker 1: Yes, And so we were talking earlier about how it's 1044 00:48:27,320 --> 00:48:28,880 Speaker 1: kind of hard to know ourselves and one way you 1045 00:48:28,920 --> 00:48:31,359 Speaker 1: can kind of get an insight into yourself is by 1046 00:48:31,400 --> 00:48:34,680 Speaker 1: asking yourself a question that maybe kind of gives you 1047 00:48:34,719 --> 00:48:38,960 Speaker 1: a perspective or or lends into yourself that you that 1048 00:48:39,040 --> 00:48:41,400 Speaker 1: you might not have noticed before. And again, back to 1049 00:48:41,440 --> 00:48:44,080 Speaker 1: these journals, I even know yourself better journal, because a 1050 00:48:44,080 --> 00:48:46,000 Speaker 1: lot of people do find it really helpful to have 1051 00:48:46,040 --> 00:48:48,680 Speaker 1: these sort of reflections to kind of guide their thinking 1052 00:48:49,160 --> 00:48:50,680 Speaker 1: because it's hard to just look in the mirror and 1053 00:48:50,719 --> 00:48:52,719 Speaker 1: see what's there clearly. It's like if somebody, but if 1054 00:48:52,760 --> 00:48:56,080 Speaker 1: somebody asks you, like a really good question. So here's 1055 00:48:56,080 --> 00:48:59,080 Speaker 1: a funny thing. A lot of adults don't know what 1056 00:48:59,120 --> 00:49:01,480 Speaker 1: to do for fun, Like they know what's fun for 1057 00:49:01,520 --> 00:49:04,480 Speaker 1: the whole family, they you know, maybe right, and then 1058 00:49:04,520 --> 00:49:06,840 Speaker 1: they know work and then kind of like the chores. 1059 00:49:06,880 --> 00:49:09,200 Speaker 1: But if you're like, what would you do just for fun? 1060 00:49:09,239 --> 00:49:10,719 Speaker 1: If you had a whole day free, what would you 1061 00:49:10,760 --> 00:49:12,480 Speaker 1: do for fun? Or if you had a hobby, what 1062 00:49:12,480 --> 00:49:15,239 Speaker 1: would your hobby be? Or you know, and so it's like, 1063 00:49:15,280 --> 00:49:17,200 Speaker 1: what do you do for fun? Here's a great question 1064 00:49:17,239 --> 00:49:19,600 Speaker 1: to ask yourself. What did you do for fun when 1065 00:49:19,640 --> 00:49:22,600 Speaker 1: you were ten years old? Emily, what did you do 1066 00:49:22,640 --> 00:49:23,839 Speaker 1: for fun when you were ten years old? 1067 00:49:24,080 --> 00:49:27,840 Speaker 2: I mean I played like zena warrior princess in the 1068 00:49:27,840 --> 00:49:29,200 Speaker 2: backyard with my best friend. 1069 00:49:30,239 --> 00:49:33,160 Speaker 1: So the question is, if that's what you did for fun, 1070 00:49:33,480 --> 00:49:35,760 Speaker 1: what could you do as an adult that would tap 1071 00:49:35,960 --> 00:49:39,799 Speaker 1: into that pleasure? Because what you did, so what I 1072 00:49:39,840 --> 00:49:41,279 Speaker 1: did for fun. When I was ten years old is 1073 00:49:41,320 --> 00:49:44,400 Speaker 1: I would copy out my favorite quotations from books that 1074 00:49:44,440 --> 00:49:46,719 Speaker 1: I was reading into these beautiful books, and then I 1075 00:49:46,719 --> 00:49:51,520 Speaker 1: would illustrate them with magazine pictures. And nowadays, as an adult, 1076 00:49:52,000 --> 00:49:56,120 Speaker 1: I have I have a Moment of Happiness newsletter where 1077 00:49:56,239 --> 00:49:57,920 Speaker 1: like five days a week I send out like a 1078 00:49:57,960 --> 00:50:02,200 Speaker 1: beautiful quotation about happiness serve human nature. And it's so 1079 00:50:02,440 --> 00:50:05,200 Speaker 1: fun for me, and it's just as I was a 1080 00:50:05,239 --> 00:50:07,760 Speaker 1: ten year old, Like sitting on the floor and writing 1081 00:50:07,760 --> 00:50:09,640 Speaker 1: it out with a felt tip marker in a blank 1082 00:50:09,680 --> 00:50:12,279 Speaker 1: book is exactly how I feel now. And I'm like 1083 00:50:12,360 --> 00:50:14,480 Speaker 1: reading a book and typing it into my big document 1084 00:50:14,480 --> 00:50:17,560 Speaker 1: of all my favorite quotations, and I'm like, it's even 1085 00:50:17,560 --> 00:50:19,239 Speaker 1: better because I get to show it to other people. 1086 00:50:19,280 --> 00:50:21,080 Speaker 1: It's not just my book that I can maybe show 1087 00:50:21,120 --> 00:50:22,680 Speaker 1: to a friend. It's like I can send this to 1088 00:50:22,760 --> 00:50:24,920 Speaker 1: as many people who love quotations as much as I do. 1089 00:50:25,360 --> 00:50:28,880 Speaker 1: But it's fun for me in exactly the same way, 1090 00:50:29,160 --> 00:50:32,640 Speaker 1: but it's adapted to my adult situation and so okay, 1091 00:50:33,040 --> 00:50:36,399 Speaker 1: playing like what might that be? Maybe you're gonna start 1092 00:50:36,400 --> 00:50:40,720 Speaker 1: a monthly charade thing. Maybe you're gonna do immersive theater. 1093 00:50:41,200 --> 00:50:44,440 Speaker 1: Maybe you're gonna I mean, where could that lead? But 1094 00:50:44,520 --> 00:50:47,200 Speaker 1: it's probably something that you would find fun. 1095 00:50:47,680 --> 00:50:50,279 Speaker 3: Yeah, No, I mean I hear where you're going with this. 1096 00:50:50,400 --> 00:50:52,520 Speaker 2: I don't necessarily think I need to like pick up 1097 00:50:52,520 --> 00:50:54,920 Speaker 2: a fake sword and like go to for Green Park and. 1098 00:50:54,880 --> 00:50:58,799 Speaker 1: Like Saudia Williamsberg, I'm putting on my a friend and 1099 00:50:58,840 --> 00:51:02,560 Speaker 1: I'm gonna knee in some dough. We're gonna make a candle. 1100 00:51:02,520 --> 00:51:03,239 Speaker 3: Clause for you. 1101 00:51:03,640 --> 00:51:06,399 Speaker 2: I will say, you and I obviously have many things 1102 00:51:06,400 --> 00:51:07,920 Speaker 2: in common, and when I was younger, I did a 1103 00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:09,960 Speaker 2: similar thing. So I think that that's like kind of 1104 00:51:10,040 --> 00:51:12,880 Speaker 2: these different ways that we engage with our respective communities. 1105 00:51:12,880 --> 00:51:15,520 Speaker 2: I mean, I do think that through asking these tough questions. 1106 00:51:15,520 --> 00:51:18,319 Speaker 2: We just had a thirty day challenge with a bunch 1107 00:51:18,320 --> 00:51:20,640 Speaker 2: of the hurdlers and it became something that was a 1108 00:51:20,640 --> 00:51:24,359 Speaker 2: really beautiful opportunity not only for each of the individuals 1109 00:51:24,360 --> 00:51:27,000 Speaker 2: to do some like self inquisition work, but then also 1110 00:51:27,040 --> 00:51:29,560 Speaker 2: to come together and have these conversations because of that 1111 00:51:29,640 --> 00:51:33,439 Speaker 2: connectivity and these things that bring us together. Oftentimes, when 1112 00:51:33,480 --> 00:51:35,719 Speaker 2: you are someone that's willing to do this work, that's 1113 00:51:35,760 --> 00:51:38,600 Speaker 2: willing to do this inquisition, finding like minded people can 1114 00:51:38,680 --> 00:51:41,319 Speaker 2: be a way for us to continue on with that 1115 00:51:41,400 --> 00:51:42,200 Speaker 2: and do more of it. 1116 00:51:42,480 --> 00:51:45,279 Speaker 1: Well a it's it's often accountability be we can all 1117 00:51:45,360 --> 00:51:47,520 Speaker 1: learn from each other and a lot of people you're like, wow, 1118 00:51:47,560 --> 00:51:49,640 Speaker 1: I never thought about sleeping in my work at close. 1119 00:51:49,719 --> 00:51:51,320 Speaker 1: That's amazing. I'm going to do that, you know, or 1120 00:51:51,400 --> 00:51:55,200 Speaker 1: whatever you get, you get ideas and then and it 1121 00:51:55,239 --> 00:51:56,960 Speaker 1: goes to that identity I'm the kind of person who 1122 00:51:57,000 --> 00:51:59,000 Speaker 1: does that. I'm around other people. And one of the 1123 00:51:59,040 --> 00:52:02,160 Speaker 1: things that I found was absolutely striking in my for 1124 00:52:02,200 --> 00:52:04,240 Speaker 1: better than before when I was doing all the habit research. 1125 00:52:04,800 --> 00:52:07,879 Speaker 1: It gives all the twenty one strategies that you can 1126 00:52:07,960 --> 00:52:09,920 Speaker 1: use to make or break your habits. And one of 1127 00:52:09,960 --> 00:52:13,600 Speaker 1: the strategies, and a very universal strategies, is the strategy 1128 00:52:13,640 --> 00:52:17,520 Speaker 1: of other people. And it is really striking how much 1129 00:52:17,520 --> 00:52:21,080 Speaker 1: we pick up habits from other people, good habits. If 1130 00:52:21,160 --> 00:52:24,200 Speaker 1: one spouse gives up smoking, the other one's much more 1131 00:52:24,280 --> 00:52:26,280 Speaker 1: likely to give up smoking, but also to the bad 1132 00:52:26,480 --> 00:52:28,960 Speaker 1: So we're constantly trading habits back and forth. So if 1133 00:52:28,960 --> 00:52:30,839 Speaker 1: you put yourself in a cohort like this thirty day 1134 00:52:30,880 --> 00:52:32,719 Speaker 1: challenge and you're like, these are my people, I'm one 1135 00:52:32,719 --> 00:52:35,879 Speaker 1: of these folks, we're all working on this together. That's 1136 00:52:36,000 --> 00:52:39,040 Speaker 1: going to kind of keep you focused and just that 1137 00:52:39,800 --> 00:52:43,040 Speaker 1: being around other people who were doing that, even without 1138 00:52:43,080 --> 00:52:46,720 Speaker 1: you consciously realizing it, that's going to start to seep 1139 00:52:46,760 --> 00:52:48,800 Speaker 1: in and to shape it and to make it easier 1140 00:52:48,800 --> 00:52:50,960 Speaker 1: to do that. If there's a habit you want, you 1141 00:52:51,040 --> 00:52:53,040 Speaker 1: want to put yourself around people who have that habit, 1142 00:52:53,360 --> 00:52:55,520 Speaker 1: there's a habit you don't want, you want to pull 1143 00:52:55,560 --> 00:52:58,120 Speaker 1: back from people who do have that habit because it's 1144 00:52:58,160 --> 00:52:59,759 Speaker 1: like somebody was saying to me, I want to be 1145 00:53:00,080 --> 00:53:01,839 Speaker 1: I want to learn to be much more frugal, but 1146 00:53:01,880 --> 00:53:04,320 Speaker 1: my friends are definitely the kind that, like, you know, 1147 00:53:04,360 --> 00:53:07,759 Speaker 1: they're ordering appetizers there or you know, and he says, 1148 00:53:07,800 --> 00:53:10,279 Speaker 1: it's hard for me to hold to my hand. They're 1149 00:53:10,320 --> 00:53:12,399 Speaker 1: not pressuring me to spend money. It's not that, it's 1150 00:53:12,440 --> 00:53:15,040 Speaker 1: just that I don't. It's harder for me to keep 1151 00:53:15,040 --> 00:53:18,239 Speaker 1: my habit in this context. And it's like, yeah, that's 1152 00:53:18,280 --> 00:53:21,239 Speaker 1: human nature. So yeah, And so putting yourself in a 1153 00:53:21,280 --> 00:53:24,080 Speaker 1: like in a group of people who are really striving 1154 00:53:24,120 --> 00:53:27,040 Speaker 1: for the same thing that you're striving for is enormously 1155 00:53:27,120 --> 00:53:30,160 Speaker 1: beneficial in a multitude of ways, some of which you're 1156 00:53:30,160 --> 00:53:32,400 Speaker 1: probably not even consciously aware of totally. 1157 00:53:32,440 --> 00:53:35,080 Speaker 2: And then, on the note of tough questions, after a while, 1158 00:53:35,160 --> 00:53:37,759 Speaker 2: maybe someone who starts to ask themselves some of them 1159 00:53:37,800 --> 00:53:40,480 Speaker 2: can get more comfortable continuing to answer them. For someone 1160 00:53:40,520 --> 00:53:44,080 Speaker 2: who's struggling to like open themselves up to that level 1161 00:53:44,239 --> 00:53:48,160 Speaker 2: of inquisition, is there perhaps like a best practice way 1162 00:53:48,239 --> 00:53:49,719 Speaker 2: to ease into that? 1163 00:53:50,560 --> 00:53:52,480 Speaker 1: Well, I think you know, there are questions that you 1164 00:53:52,520 --> 00:53:56,800 Speaker 1: can ask yourself that that you can sort of go through. 1165 00:53:56,920 --> 00:53:59,520 Speaker 1: So one question might be what am I waiting for? 1166 00:54:00,760 --> 00:54:04,360 Speaker 1: So because because a lot of times people are will think, well, 1167 00:54:04,960 --> 00:54:07,000 Speaker 1: I'll start it in the new year, or it's going 1168 00:54:07,080 --> 00:54:09,360 Speaker 1: to be like after after the summer's over and everything 1169 00:54:09,360 --> 00:54:11,680 Speaker 1: calms down, like there's always you know, tomorrow, it's always 1170 00:54:11,719 --> 00:54:15,319 Speaker 1: easier than today. And so sometimes it's like, if I'm 1171 00:54:15,320 --> 00:54:17,839 Speaker 1: just waiting for things to get easier, you know what, 1172 00:54:18,000 --> 00:54:21,400 Speaker 1: it's probably like now now is always a really good time. 1173 00:54:22,280 --> 00:54:24,440 Speaker 1: So if what am I waiting for? Am I kind 1174 00:54:24,440 --> 00:54:26,880 Speaker 1: of putting myself on pause for sort of no good reason, 1175 00:54:26,920 --> 00:54:30,040 Speaker 1: but just sort of out of anxiety. One question that 1176 00:54:30,040 --> 00:54:32,120 Speaker 1: a lot of people say helps them a lot is 1177 00:54:32,160 --> 00:54:35,000 Speaker 1: what would I do if I weren't scared. So if 1178 00:54:35,040 --> 00:54:38,080 Speaker 1: I if I could just imagine like another person doing it, 1179 00:54:38,440 --> 00:54:41,719 Speaker 1: what would you know? And that can often be kind 1180 00:54:41,719 --> 00:54:43,640 Speaker 1: of an interesting way to get at this. What would 1181 00:54:43,640 --> 00:54:46,200 Speaker 1: I do if I weren't scared? Is to say, what 1182 00:54:46,239 --> 00:54:48,960 Speaker 1: would I tell a friend? Right, because you're not scared 1183 00:54:49,000 --> 00:54:50,640 Speaker 1: for your friend, because your friend's the one that's got 1184 00:54:50,680 --> 00:54:52,840 Speaker 1: to do it. So what advice would you give to 1185 00:54:52,880 --> 00:54:57,239 Speaker 1: a friend? Yeah, because you don't feel that fear in 1186 00:54:57,280 --> 00:55:00,360 Speaker 1: relation to someone else, and often you you you trust 1187 00:55:00,400 --> 00:55:02,320 Speaker 1: in your friend, you believe in your friend, and you 1188 00:55:02,719 --> 00:55:05,040 Speaker 1: know you have optimism for your friend. What would you 1189 00:55:05,040 --> 00:55:08,120 Speaker 1: say to your friend? Well, then you know, tell repeated 1190 00:55:08,200 --> 00:55:08,600 Speaker 1: back to. 1191 00:55:08,560 --> 00:55:12,640 Speaker 2: Yourself super helpful, super helpful, and some good visualization like 1192 00:55:12,920 --> 00:55:16,359 Speaker 2: in that as well. Obviously, as we can tell from 1193 00:55:16,480 --> 00:55:19,680 Speaker 2: the last fifty plus minutes we've spent together that you 1194 00:55:19,880 --> 00:55:22,680 Speaker 2: are someone that a lot of people look to for 1195 00:55:22,840 --> 00:55:25,920 Speaker 2: advice and for guidance. You've got almost something like two 1196 00:55:26,000 --> 00:55:30,080 Speaker 2: hundred thousand followers on Instagram and so many beyond that. 1197 00:55:30,080 --> 00:55:32,200 Speaker 3: That's who they see when they look at you. But 1198 00:55:32,239 --> 00:55:34,160 Speaker 3: what is it that you see when you look in 1199 00:55:34,200 --> 00:55:35,360 Speaker 3: the mirror, Gretchen. 1200 00:55:36,560 --> 00:55:38,759 Speaker 1: Well, you know, we try to be very honest. So 1201 00:55:38,960 --> 00:55:44,680 Speaker 1: I hope that it's very consistent. But you know, but 1202 00:55:44,800 --> 00:55:47,880 Speaker 1: that is a great question. I'm constantly thinking, like, what 1203 00:55:47,920 --> 00:55:51,799 Speaker 1: are my blind spots? What am I telling myself is 1204 00:55:51,840 --> 00:55:54,279 Speaker 1: true that isn't true? What do I think are my 1205 00:55:54,320 --> 00:55:59,480 Speaker 1: limitations that are not my limitations? I think I think 1206 00:55:59,480 --> 00:56:01,200 Speaker 1: it's the great I think you put your finger on 1207 00:56:01,200 --> 00:56:03,120 Speaker 1: one of the great questions of our lives, which is 1208 00:56:03,280 --> 00:56:06,399 Speaker 1: you know, who am I? Actually one of the things 1209 00:56:06,400 --> 00:56:09,040 Speaker 1: I realized recently, like right now, I'm working on a 1210 00:56:09,080 --> 00:56:10,839 Speaker 1: book about the five senses and how we can tap 1211 00:56:10,880 --> 00:56:13,040 Speaker 1: into the five senses to really bring ourselves a sense 1212 00:56:13,040 --> 00:56:15,880 Speaker 1: of vitality. And that came from me really looking at 1213 00:56:15,880 --> 00:56:18,880 Speaker 1: myself and thinking, you know, I am really I'm absent minded, 1214 00:56:18,920 --> 00:56:21,960 Speaker 1: I'm absent bodied. I walk around kind of in a fog. 1215 00:56:22,200 --> 00:56:25,640 Speaker 1: I don't tap into my senses as much as I should. 1216 00:56:25,680 --> 00:56:28,440 Speaker 1: I think I'm leaving a lot of opportunity for just 1217 00:56:28,480 --> 00:56:31,200 Speaker 1: like appreciating the moment in the world around me. And 1218 00:56:31,280 --> 00:56:34,680 Speaker 1: it was really acknowledging that limitation of myself that got 1219 00:56:34,719 --> 00:56:38,359 Speaker 1: me very, very excited about trying to systematically address that. 1220 00:56:38,800 --> 00:56:41,960 Speaker 1: So I think it was acknowledging something about myself that 1221 00:56:42,000 --> 00:56:45,240 Speaker 1: I wish were not true but is true. 1222 00:56:45,640 --> 00:56:47,960 Speaker 2: It's so interesting to hear you talk about the premise 1223 00:56:48,000 --> 00:56:50,040 Speaker 2: for this upcoming project. I know the premise for the 1224 00:56:50,080 --> 00:56:52,799 Speaker 2: Happiness Project was like the same kind of level of 1225 00:56:52,840 --> 00:56:55,359 Speaker 2: like self inquisition and asking yourself if there was more that. 1226 00:56:55,320 --> 00:56:56,000 Speaker 3: You could do there? 1227 00:56:56,400 --> 00:56:56,600 Speaker 1: Do you? 1228 00:56:56,560 --> 00:56:58,640 Speaker 2: He's the theme ever take a step back and like, 1229 00:56:58,760 --> 00:57:00,400 Speaker 2: are you ever your own high woman? 1230 00:57:00,640 --> 00:57:03,160 Speaker 3: Or I sort of. 1231 00:57:03,120 --> 00:57:08,080 Speaker 1: Love this Benjamin Franklin kind of constant guinea pig, constant testing. 1232 00:57:08,160 --> 00:57:10,759 Speaker 1: I find it really really fun, Like give me a 1233 00:57:10,800 --> 00:57:14,480 Speaker 1: good try this at home. I love that. So I 1234 00:57:14,560 --> 00:57:17,640 Speaker 1: do not find it exhausting and overwhelming. Now do other 1235 00:57:17,680 --> 00:57:21,440 Speaker 1: people around me feel like they're innocent bystanders? Yes. My 1236 00:57:21,480 --> 00:57:24,360 Speaker 1: sister Listen, who's the co host of Happier with Gretchen Rubind, 1237 00:57:25,040 --> 00:57:28,080 Speaker 1: she calls me a happiness bully too, because I'm not 1238 00:57:28,120 --> 00:57:29,840 Speaker 1: way to myself. But also, if you're close to me 1239 00:57:29,880 --> 00:57:31,200 Speaker 1: and I think that there's a way for you to 1240 00:57:31,240 --> 00:57:34,280 Speaker 1: be happier, like I can get kind of like insistent 1241 00:57:34,360 --> 00:57:37,120 Speaker 1: on that, but it comes from a place of love. 1242 00:57:37,800 --> 00:57:40,600 Speaker 2: So yeah, does anyone around you ever just tell you 1243 00:57:40,640 --> 00:57:42,400 Speaker 2: how magnificent you are so that you can hear it 1244 00:57:42,400 --> 00:57:43,080 Speaker 2: from somebody else. 1245 00:57:43,200 --> 00:57:44,760 Speaker 1: No, I wish they would. 1246 00:57:44,920 --> 00:57:49,320 Speaker 2: No, all right, I'm here to tell you today, Gretcha, 1247 00:57:50,000 --> 00:57:52,200 Speaker 2: you're a pretty awesome, stellar human. 1248 00:57:53,120 --> 00:57:55,280 Speaker 1: Well, thank you, and so are you? 1249 00:57:57,200 --> 00:57:59,960 Speaker 3: Of course. Well, I would be remiss if I did. 1250 00:58:00,280 --> 00:58:02,560 Speaker 2: Before I let you go here, talk a little bit 1251 00:58:02,680 --> 00:58:06,240 Speaker 2: about where we are as a society after the last year. 1252 00:58:06,400 --> 00:58:09,000 Speaker 2: So many people after the last eighteen months in this pandemic, 1253 00:58:09,280 --> 00:58:13,120 Speaker 2: going through some tough spots and dealing with everything from 1254 00:58:13,520 --> 00:58:16,520 Speaker 2: negative self talk to anxieties of just simply walking down 1255 00:58:16,520 --> 00:58:20,280 Speaker 2: the streets. So when it comes to us moving forward 1256 00:58:20,480 --> 00:58:22,760 Speaker 2: with a little bit of optimism and trying to find 1257 00:58:22,920 --> 00:58:27,360 Speaker 2: our happy as we progress, what would you say are 1258 00:58:27,360 --> 00:58:29,400 Speaker 2: some of the steps that people can take in that 1259 00:58:29,520 --> 00:58:32,560 Speaker 2: finding they're happy in this new quote unquote normal. 1260 00:58:33,280 --> 00:58:36,960 Speaker 1: Well, there's been a huge disruption, there's so much uncertainty, 1261 00:58:37,080 --> 00:58:39,480 Speaker 1: there's so much hardship and suffering, certainly, but I would 1262 00:58:39,480 --> 00:58:43,080 Speaker 1: say now more than ever, sort of the advice about happiness, 1263 00:58:43,120 --> 00:58:46,840 Speaker 1: which is like ancient blossers and contemporary scientists agree on this, 1264 00:58:47,280 --> 00:58:49,400 Speaker 1: like if you had to pick one aspect of your life, 1265 00:58:49,960 --> 00:58:53,120 Speaker 1: pick relationships. To be happy, we need to have deep 1266 00:58:53,160 --> 00:58:56,120 Speaker 1: intimate bonds we need to have enduring relationships. We need 1267 00:58:56,200 --> 00:58:58,640 Speaker 1: to be able to confide, we need to be able 1268 00:58:58,720 --> 00:59:01,240 Speaker 1: to get support and allso so give support. We need 1269 00:59:01,280 --> 00:59:03,480 Speaker 1: to be able to We need, you know, we need 1270 00:59:03,520 --> 00:59:06,400 Speaker 1: to feel like someone has our back. And and this 1271 00:59:06,440 --> 00:59:08,400 Speaker 1: is part of what has been so distressing about this 1272 00:59:08,480 --> 00:59:11,160 Speaker 1: time is that so many, so many of our usual 1273 00:59:11,240 --> 00:59:14,440 Speaker 1: ways of connecting have been disrupted or altered and that's 1274 00:59:14,480 --> 00:59:17,560 Speaker 1: been really hard for people to manage. But so thinking about, 1275 00:59:17,800 --> 00:59:19,840 Speaker 1: you know, if you're thinking about, oh gosh, should I 1276 00:59:19,840 --> 00:59:22,280 Speaker 1: get on another zoom call with my college roommate's like 1277 00:59:22,320 --> 00:59:25,360 Speaker 1: I'm so tired of that, or like should I, you know, 1278 00:59:25,440 --> 00:59:28,560 Speaker 1: own next year my college reunion's coming up, Like should 1279 00:59:28,560 --> 00:59:30,440 Speaker 1: I deal with the time and the energy to do that? 1280 00:59:30,520 --> 00:59:34,160 Speaker 1: Like anything like should I, oh gosh, my friend keeps 1281 00:59:34,160 --> 00:59:36,200 Speaker 1: canceling on me for good reason, but should we just 1282 00:59:36,320 --> 00:59:40,080 Speaker 1: keep rescheduling that hike because it's such a nuisance. Anything 1283 00:59:40,280 --> 00:59:44,280 Speaker 1: that deepens our relationships or broadens our relationships, anything where 1284 00:59:44,280 --> 00:59:47,280 Speaker 1: we're we are giving into our community when we feel 1285 00:59:47,280 --> 00:59:50,520 Speaker 1: like we're making things better or we're helping or we're teaching, 1286 00:59:50,560 --> 00:59:54,600 Speaker 1: anything that goes to those bonds with other people. If 1287 00:59:54,600 --> 00:59:56,440 Speaker 1: I had to pick one thing for being happier, I 1288 00:59:56,480 --> 00:59:58,320 Speaker 1: would say anything. If you're trying to figure out what 1289 00:59:58,320 --> 01:00:00,920 Speaker 1: to do with your time, energy, or money. Anything that 1290 01:00:01,000 --> 01:00:04,120 Speaker 1: goes to relationships is something that's likely to make you happier, 1291 01:00:04,520 --> 01:00:06,919 Speaker 1: and it'll make you feel more supported, and it will 1292 01:00:06,920 --> 01:00:09,920 Speaker 1: also make you feel like you're better able to support others, 1293 01:00:10,000 --> 01:00:12,960 Speaker 1: and that is also a tremendous source of happiness. One 1294 01:00:12,960 --> 01:00:14,840 Speaker 1: of the best ways to make yourself happier is to 1295 01:00:14,840 --> 01:00:16,920 Speaker 1: make other people happier. And one of the best ways 1296 01:00:16,920 --> 01:00:19,600 Speaker 1: to make other people happier is to be happier yourself. 1297 01:00:20,040 --> 01:00:21,600 Speaker 3: I love that. I love that, Gretchen. 1298 01:00:21,640 --> 01:00:24,720 Speaker 2: What is one of the things that makes you happy 1299 01:00:24,920 --> 01:00:25,360 Speaker 2: right now? 1300 01:00:26,000 --> 01:00:30,720 Speaker 1: Reading? Reading? It's my playground and my cubicle. I love reading, 1301 01:00:30,920 --> 01:00:35,880 Speaker 1: and so that is something now and forever reading well. 1302 01:00:35,760 --> 01:00:38,040 Speaker 3: I mean this beckons the question what are you reading 1303 01:00:38,120 --> 01:00:38,520 Speaker 3: right now? 1304 01:00:39,240 --> 01:00:42,400 Speaker 1: I am reading The Yellow Room by Sarah Broom, which 1305 01:00:42,440 --> 01:00:43,600 Speaker 1: is more And. 1306 01:00:44,000 --> 01:00:46,960 Speaker 2: If you had to recommend a book for the next 1307 01:00:47,040 --> 01:00:49,760 Speaker 2: Hurdle book Club, what should we be reading, Gretchen? 1308 01:00:49,960 --> 01:00:51,720 Speaker 1: Ooh, fiction non fiction. 1309 01:00:53,400 --> 01:00:56,400 Speaker 2: We're usually leaning into like a nonfiction, like we're talking 1310 01:00:56,840 --> 01:00:59,600 Speaker 2: personal development, self help, that kind of stuff, not long 1311 01:00:59,640 --> 01:01:03,200 Speaker 2: ago you read Grit, so it's like a hint of 1312 01:01:03,200 --> 01:01:03,800 Speaker 2: where we've been. 1313 01:01:05,040 --> 01:01:05,880 Speaker 3: The power of habit. 1314 01:01:06,560 --> 01:01:09,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a good book. I'm trying to think of 1315 01:01:09,320 --> 01:01:12,760 Speaker 1: a great five census book. Oh, this is Your Brain 1316 01:01:12,800 --> 01:01:16,240 Speaker 1: on Music by Daniel Levitton. It's so exciting. You read 1317 01:01:16,320 --> 01:01:18,400 Speaker 1: all about your brain and how you listen to music, 1318 01:01:18,440 --> 01:01:20,520 Speaker 1: and there's a lot in there about how you can 1319 01:01:20,600 --> 01:01:23,080 Speaker 1: use music to pump yourself up and calm yourself down, 1320 01:01:23,120 --> 01:01:24,960 Speaker 1: and it gives you an appreciation for your body. And 1321 01:01:25,000 --> 01:01:27,160 Speaker 1: so I think for people who are interested in kind 1322 01:01:27,200 --> 01:01:32,320 Speaker 1: of self development and self understanding, it's it's really interesting 1323 01:01:32,320 --> 01:01:35,120 Speaker 1: to it just it just fills you with awe about 1324 01:01:35,120 --> 01:01:37,720 Speaker 1: the human body and what our bodies can do without 1325 01:01:37,800 --> 01:01:43,800 Speaker 1: us even noticing the sophistication. It's just it's it's really 1326 01:01:43,880 --> 01:01:47,200 Speaker 1: it's a transcendent thing to think about. And it's also 1327 01:01:47,320 --> 01:01:48,920 Speaker 1: like super interesting and practical. 1328 01:01:49,400 --> 01:01:53,640 Speaker 2: If you were to recommend to the hurdlars who have 1329 01:01:53,760 --> 01:01:56,959 Speaker 2: never read any of your titles before a good place 1330 01:01:57,000 --> 01:01:58,280 Speaker 2: to start, would you tell them to start with the 1331 01:01:58,280 --> 01:01:59,080 Speaker 2: Happiness Project. 1332 01:02:00,680 --> 01:02:03,080 Speaker 1: Yes, unless they're very focused on changing their habits, in 1333 01:02:03,080 --> 01:02:06,040 Speaker 1: which case I would say better than before. Specifically about habit, change. 1334 01:02:06,080 --> 01:02:09,480 Speaker 1: I think the happiest project is more fun read. It's 1335 01:02:09,560 --> 01:02:12,160 Speaker 1: more on the memoir side, and it's all about happiness, 1336 01:02:12,160 --> 01:02:14,880 Speaker 1: which is great. But if you're like, I don't care 1337 01:02:14,920 --> 01:02:17,400 Speaker 1: about this Gretchen Ruben and how she got happier, I 1338 01:02:17,440 --> 01:02:19,520 Speaker 1: want to know, like how to get myself to go 1339 01:02:19,600 --> 01:02:21,560 Speaker 1: to bed at ten thirty every night, I'm like, well, 1340 01:02:21,560 --> 01:02:23,720 Speaker 1: I better than before. We'll like goes right to the 1341 01:02:23,720 --> 01:02:25,919 Speaker 1: heart of that. So either one of those probably would 1342 01:02:25,960 --> 01:02:27,600 Speaker 1: be good for the hurdlers. 1343 01:02:27,440 --> 01:02:30,640 Speaker 2: Perfect well, Gretchen, the way that I close the podcast 1344 01:02:30,640 --> 01:02:33,920 Speaker 2: every time, right now, you have an opportunity to offer 1345 01:02:33,960 --> 01:02:37,040 Speaker 2: yourself one piece of advice. Going through a big hurdle moment, 1346 01:02:37,160 --> 01:02:39,560 Speaker 2: let's say the moment when you decided that you were 1347 01:02:39,600 --> 01:02:43,440 Speaker 2: gonna stop clerking and start writing, you have an opportunity 1348 01:02:43,480 --> 01:02:46,280 Speaker 2: to offer yourself back then a piece of advice right now, 1349 01:02:46,320 --> 01:02:48,800 Speaker 2: looking back on it, what do you tell yourself? 1350 01:02:49,440 --> 01:02:51,680 Speaker 1: I would tell myself something that I've learned now but 1351 01:02:51,760 --> 01:02:54,240 Speaker 1: I did not know then, which is, if you're not failing, 1352 01:02:54,400 --> 01:02:57,760 Speaker 1: you're not trying hard enough. And so go into this 1353 01:02:57,840 --> 01:03:01,080 Speaker 1: thinking it's okay for me to fail, because if I fail, 1354 01:03:01,280 --> 01:03:04,440 Speaker 1: I will know that I am trying hard, and if 1355 01:03:04,440 --> 01:03:07,439 Speaker 1: there is no failure, I need to figure out more 1356 01:03:07,440 --> 01:03:09,920 Speaker 1: things to try so I get my failures in. 1357 01:03:11,320 --> 01:03:12,280 Speaker 3: I love it, Gretchen. 1358 01:03:12,480 --> 01:03:15,520 Speaker 2: I am so ecstatic just at the opportunity that we 1359 01:03:15,640 --> 01:03:17,680 Speaker 2: had here to sit down together. I know that there's 1360 01:03:17,760 --> 01:03:22,640 Speaker 2: so many takeaways from this time, and I'm so grateful 1361 01:03:22,640 --> 01:03:23,360 Speaker 2: for you and the work that. 1362 01:03:23,320 --> 01:03:24,640 Speaker 3: You do, and I know that the community is as 1363 01:03:24,680 --> 01:03:25,640 Speaker 3: well well. 1364 01:03:25,640 --> 01:03:27,560 Speaker 1: Thank you so much. I so enjoyed our conversation. I 1365 01:03:27,560 --> 01:03:29,560 Speaker 1: feel like we could talk all day, so I really 1366 01:03:29,600 --> 01:03:30,360 Speaker 1: appreciate it. 1367 01:03:30,680 --> 01:03:32,440 Speaker 2: I wish that we could. How do how do the 1368 01:03:32,480 --> 01:03:34,320 Speaker 2: hurdlers keep up with you? How do they follow along 1369 01:03:34,320 --> 01:03:36,480 Speaker 2: with you? What can they get in on? Give us 1370 01:03:36,480 --> 01:03:37,160 Speaker 2: all the details. 1371 01:03:37,680 --> 01:03:39,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, So if you want to go to sort of 1372 01:03:39,600 --> 01:03:41,600 Speaker 1: the hub of all my things, you can go to 1373 01:03:41,640 --> 01:03:44,280 Speaker 1: Gretchenreuben dot com and you can read about my books 1374 01:03:44,280 --> 01:03:47,080 Speaker 1: and there's all kinds of free resources. If you are 1375 01:03:47,120 --> 01:03:49,919 Speaker 1: a podcast listener, which clearly you are, you can listen 1376 01:03:49,960 --> 01:03:52,320 Speaker 1: to Happier with Gretchen Ruben. That's a weekly podcast that 1377 01:03:52,360 --> 01:03:54,520 Speaker 1: I do with my cost and my sister Elizabeth, and 1378 01:03:54,560 --> 01:03:59,040 Speaker 1: it's all about it, like concrete, manageable ways to be happier, healthier, 1379 01:03:59,080 --> 01:04:02,480 Speaker 1: more productive, and more creative. I'm on social media everywhere 1380 01:04:02,680 --> 01:04:05,960 Speaker 1: you would look for Gretchen Rubin and if you're interested 1381 01:04:06,040 --> 01:04:09,640 Speaker 1: in the journals, you go to the Happiness Project and 1382 01:04:09,840 --> 01:04:10,720 Speaker 1: you can find it there. 1383 01:04:11,360 --> 01:04:11,880 Speaker 3: Beautiful. 1384 01:04:12,040 --> 01:04:15,160 Speaker 2: I'm over at Emily Body and at Hurdle Podcast Another 1385 01:04:15,240 --> 01:04:16,440 Speaker 2: Hurdle conquered. 1386 01:04:16,720 --> 01:04:17,800 Speaker 3: Catch you guys next time.